Nursing home malpractice is a term used to describe the intentional or unintentional harm inflicted on or the mistreatment of an elderly person, happening in an assisted living facility. Nursing home malpractice includes nursing home abuse, nursing home neglect, and nursing home injury.

Nursing home abuse happens when residents of nursing home are subjected to physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, emotional abuse, or abusive forms of punishment etc.

It is a failure by the caretaker to attend to the physical, medical or emotional needs of an elderly person.

Injuries such as fractures, bedsores, etc. contributed by the negligence, inaction, or carelessness of nursing home staff, but not resulting from the old age of the resident, are examples of nursing home injuries.