Elderly Abuse Discovered by the OIG - Early Alert

by  Christine Woolstenhulme, QMC QCC CMCS CPC CMRS
Aug 29th, 2017

The OIG sent out an early alert in an effort to create awareness to potential abuse or neglect of Medicare Beneficiaries in skilled nursing facilities. The OIG identified 134 Medicare beneficiaries whose injuries may have been the result of potential abuse or neglect. The beneficiaries reported were treated at the hospital, but the OIG has an ongoing investigation, due to the fact that there are incidents that may not be reported. The findings from the identified incidents gave results that a significant percentage of these injuries were not reported to law enforcement.  

There are many types of abuse to watch for, such as physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect or abandonment, and financial exploitation. If you suspect any elderly person may be at risk, report it right away.