This report of an Alzheimer’s patient who was sexually assaulted by her co-resident (a registered sex offender) demonstrates the extreme vulnerability of nursing home residents with dementia and Alzheimer’s. Nursing home’s must take extra precautions when handling Alzheimer’s patients. Unlike most nursing home residents, who are capable of most daily living needs, many with Alzheimer’s are completely dependent on the nursing home staff for every need- feeding, bathing, medication and toileting.

What makes this story particularly disturbing is that the ‘victim’ of the sexual assault is probably incapable of identifying the perpetrator. Consequently, there is a chance that this individual could commit a similar crime again against another nursing home resident. Nursing homes must begin to take precautions to protect their residents.