Table 2 Proportion of observed and perpetrated abuse past year, as reported by nursing staff (N = 3693)

Psychological abuse

Yelling at a resident

15.1

22.0

6.4

5.2

12.7

11.3

1.8

1.3

Making nasty remarks to a resident

8.7

8.4

2.4

1.2

3.7

1.9

0.2

0.1

Swearing at a resident

5.3

4.8

0.9

0.8

2.9

1.6

0.1

0.3

Making humiliating remarks to a resident

7.9

7.8

1.7

1.2

3.1

1.5

0.5

0.5

Arguing with a resident

14.2

16.1

3.7

2.8

11.3

8.2

1.1

0.9

Making threatening remarks to a resident

3.6

2.2

0.5

0.4

1.4

0.5

0.1

0.06

Making critical remarks to a resident

9.3

9.7

1.7

1.2

6.0

3.3

0.2

0.3

Threatening to stop taking care of a resident

5.0

5.7

0.7

0.7

3.2

1.9

0.4

0.3

Physical abuse

Pushing, grabbing, or pinching a resident

6.4

4.7

0.9

0.9

3.5

1.6

0.3

0.5

Pulling hair or kicking a resident

0.5

0.3

0.06

0.03

0.1

0.1

0.03

0.03

Hurting a resident on purpose

0.4

0.2

–

0.03

0.08

–

–

0.03

Throwing things at a resident

0.4

0.3

–

0.06

0.06

0.03

–

0.03

Hitting a resident

0.4

0.3

0.03

0.06

0.06

0.03

–

0.03

Bullying a resident

2.2

1.1

0.2

0.2

0.3

0.03

–

0.03

Behaving aggressively towards a resident

4.3

3.1

0.6

0.4

1.3

0.6

0.06

0.06

Not giving needed medication on purpose to a resident

0.7

0.4

0.1

0.1

0.08

0.1

0.03

0.06

Giving more medication than needed on purpose to a resident

1.8

1.4

0.4

0.3

0.4

0.3

0.1

0.06

Deliberately delaying giving medication(s) to a resident

1.4

2.2

0.5

0.4

1.0

1.2

0.3

0.4

Financial/material abuse

Stealing money from a resident

0.3

0.1

0.03

–

0.03

0.03

–

0.03

Stealing things from a resident

0.3

0.1

0.08

0.03

0.06

0.03

–

0.03

Signing documents without permission from a resident

0.5

0.1

–

0.06

0.3

0.03

–

–

Destroying things that belong to a resident without permission

0.5

0.3

–

0.06

0.6

0.08

–

–

Sexual abuse

Unwelcome touching of a resident

0.2

0.03

0.03

0.03

0.08

0.06

–

–

Unwelcome discussion of sexual activity with a resident

0.8

0.3

0.03

0.03

0.2

0.03

–

0.06

Exposure of a residents private-body parts to embarrass them

0.08

0.08

0.08

0.03

–

–

–

–

Digital penetration (e.g. finger) of a resident

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Rape of a resident

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Neglect

Not giving food on purpose to a resident

1.8

1.1

0.2

0.2

0.4

0.2

0.08

0.06

Not giving fluid on purpose to a resident

1.2

1.1

0.1

0.2

0.4

0.2

–

0.1

Delaying care of a resident

7.6

14.7

3.0

3.9

6.9

8.8

1.5

2.4

Ignoring a resident

8.3

17.6

4.4

4.9

8.3

11.9

2.3

3.0

Not treating a resident’s wounds carefully enough

3.8

4.7

0.9

0.5

2.7

1.2

0.1

0.03

Neglecting oral care of a resident

6.0

17.2

5.8

6.5

8.8

15.4

3.2

3.3

Not changing diapers on a resident

5.3

8.5

2.6

2.5

5.0

3.9

0.6

0.7

Prohibiting a resident from using the alarm

6.2

10.1

1.8

2.2

5.1

4.8

0.6

1.3