Don't Let Your Loved One Suffer.
Millions of older adults are affected by nursing home abuse each year. If you suspect a loved one is being mistreated, it’s important to act quickly to protect their safety and well-being. Talk to a nursing home abuse lawyer near you.
If you’re facing these concerns, our personal injury attorneys serving Bucks, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties can help you understand your options and take legal action when necessary. We also have offices in Doylestown, Norristown, and Cherry Hill to support clients across the region.
Common Types of Nursing Home Abuse
- 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%
Additional Statistics to Consider
- 1 in 10 adults over age 60 has experienced some form of abuse
- Nearly 1 in 4 nursing home residents report at least one incident
- Only 1 in 14 cases is reported
- Reported incidents continue to rise each year
Nursing home abuse is a serious and often underreported issue. If you believe your loved one is at risk, our personal injury attorneys are here to help you take the next steps and pursue accountability.
Nursing Home Resident Rights in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania law governs the standards of care, policies, and services. of state facilities. 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 Achievement of a Loved One?
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 receive appropriate care and, if justified, compensatory damages. 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 personal injury firm in Norristown or Doylestown.
Call Rich Sokorai at 610.275.0700 or email info@highswartz.com. We'll take the time to talk through the details with you.
