Theft in Nursing Homes: An Overlooked Form of Elder Abuse

ABSTRACT

This research provides the first national data on the understudied topic of nursing home theft. Survey data were collected from nursing home employees, family members of patients, and administrators in 47 nursing homes. The findings indicate that a substantial proportion of employees reported seeing or suspecting their co-workers of stealing from patients. Almost one-fifth of family members suspected that their relatives' possessions had been stolen by nursing home employees. A small minority of employees self-reported that they had stolen from patients, and most had done this more than once. Our analyses lend support to the widespread allegation that nursing home theft is extensive.

KEYWORDS:

• Nursing aides
• family members
• survey
• police
• deterrence
• motivation