Don't Let Your Love One Suffer.
Close to 5 million people are affected by nursing home abuse each year. So if you think your loved one is experiencing abuse, talk to a nursing home abuse lawyer at our personal injury firm. We have law offices in Doylestown, Norristown, PA, and Cherry Hill, NJ.
In looking at the specifics of the abuse taking place, here are some details:
- Physical abuse - 27.4%
- Resident-on-resident abuse (physical or sexual) – 22.1%
- Psychological abuse – 19.4%
- Gross neglect – 15.3%
- Sexual abuse – 7.9%
- Financial exploitation – 7.9%
Other statistics presented by the Nursing Home Abuse Justice organization are equally sobering:
- 1 in 10 elders over 60 years old has suffered abuse
- Nearly 1 in 4 residents experienced at least one instance of nursing home abuse
- Only 1 in 14 incidents get reported
- Incidents reports are rising yearly
Sadly, nursing home abuse has almost become an epidemic. But our Montgomery County and Bucks County nursing home abuse lawyers can help. In addition, we support clients with personal injury claims.
Nursing Home Resident Rights in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania law regulates state facilities' standards of care, policies, and services. For example, residents and their families are entitled to fair treatment and guaranteed rights to help ensure proper care. In addition, the laws contain standards for dietary services, nursing and physician services, care plans, social services, and dental services. Resident occupation governs staffing requirements.
Apart from PA Laws, the Pennsylvania Department of Health also deals with abuse and neglect in nursing homes and recommends you take the following steps.
Concerned About the Abuse of a Loved?
If your loved one is in life-threatening or immediate danger, don't delay. Call 911 to get prompt attention. You can also start an investigation into the incident. However, if a nursing home resident is not in immediate danger, it may be more appropriate to report the suspected abuse through other means:
- Speak to the director of nursing or the nursing home administrator
- If your issues remain unaddressed, contact the Department of Aging
- As a last defense, contact the Department of Health itself
Equally important, the Older Adults Protective Services Act (OAPSA) mandates reporting requirements for suspected abuse. Consequently, employees or administrators must report the abuse to the local Area Agency on Aging and licensing agencies. Moreover, in instances where the alleged abuse is sexual, physical injury, bodily injury, or suspicious death, the Department of Aging and local law enforcement require additional reporting.
Our nursing home abuse lawyers have the experience and knowledge to handle your personal injury claims, including nursing home abuse. As a result, we provide the legal counsel to protect your loved ones and help them get financial closure to their case.
Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
If you think your loved one has suffered from any nursing home abuse, document the dates when you noticed the signs and how long the symptoms have been present. Be sure to include dates for when you first saw the signs. You can also note how long the symptoms have been present. You'll want to gather as much evidence as possible. The evidence helps strengthen your injury case against a facility and gives your nursing home abuse lawyer solid grounds.
Common warning signals of abuse include:
- Weight loss
- Bedsores
- Bruises
- Untreated cuts
- Increases in sedation without clear medical reasons
- Unsanitary conditions
- Waste smells.
Unfortunately, emotional, sexual, and financial abuse can be more difficult to identify unless you hear something during conversations or access financial information.
If you experience any of these conditions, it's best to exercise due diligence in investigating the causes. Equally important, it's best to conduct thorough research into nursing home ratings before selecting a facility.
How Our Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Can Help
When you work with our personal injury lawyers on a nursing home abuse claim, we'll assess the victim's history, mental and physical capacities, and overall circumstances related to abuse allegations. Plus, we'll evaluate the case using these legal requirements:
- A legal contract existed binding the nursing home to care for your loved one
- The nursing home failed to uphold that responsibility through negligence, omission, or intentional acts
- The abuse directly results from the acts, and legal action is related to the cause.
Our personal injury lawyers have families, too. As a result, they understand and want to ensure that residents get appropriate care and compensatory damages if justified. If you have a loved one suffering from abuse, we'll pursue your case diligently to award you for those personal injuries. So talk with one of our nursing home abuse lawyers at our Norristown or Doylestown personal injury firm.
Call Rich Sokorai at 610.275.0700 or email info@highswartz.com. We'll take the time to talk through the details with you.
