The only mistake you can make is not asking for help.
Sandeep Jauhar
Nursing home abuse in Pennsylvania is a tragic cause of injury and death for vulnerable residents. According to the World Health Organization website in 2021, 67% of nursing home staff reported that they had committed abuse in the past year. Sadly, early evidence appears to indicate that abuse has increased in institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Physical, psychological, financial, neglect, and sexual abuse are all types of nursing home abuse in Pennsylvania.
Abuse occurs when nursing home staff hurt residents in their care. This harm may be intentional or unintentional. Consequence of nursing home abuse include physical trauma, emotional suffering, medical emergencies, or even a wrongful death.
Understaffing, improper training and staff burnout all contribute to nursing home abuse in Pennsylvania. These factors provoke staff members act abusively towards residents and sometimes keep them from responding to resident needs or urgent situations.
Fortunately, you can act against nursing home abuse in Pennsylvania. First, ensure resident safety by reporting any suspicion of abuse to the police and Adult Protective Services. If abuse is not reported, it is likely to continue to happen toward your loved one, or to other residents. A lawyer can be an important advocate and help seek compensation for injuries sustained from abuse. It’s important to speak up about abuse so that healing can start, and justice can be sought.
Types of Nursing Home Abuse
Nursing home abuse can take many forms. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, defines elder abuse as "any knowing, intentional, or negligent act by a caregiver or any other person that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to a vulnerable adult."
Older adult abuse victims are twice as likely to die prematurely than those who have not suffered from abuse.
Nursing home abuse, which refers to elder abuse in a nursing home, can lead to serious physical injuries, emotional harm, and even death. The different types of nursing home abuse include:
- Physical Abuse
- Sexual Abuse
- Financial Exploitation
- Emotional Abuse
- Neglect
Our nursing home lawyers will fight for your loved one like they're our own.
Nursing home abuse can't be tolerated. Our attorneys will fight for the compensation you deserve.
How can a nursing home abuse lawyer help?
Families who believe abuse may have occurred may find it difficult to get information and answers about the situation. Often, the nursing home will protect their own interests and fail to communicate requested information to the family of abuse victims. Abuse allegations can hurt a nursing home’s reputation, and the staff have a vested interested to keep these situations quiet and brush them under a rug.
A lawyer who specializes in nursing home abuse in Pennsylvania will be familiar with state and federal laws that are in place to protect nursing home residents from abuse. A lawyer can help review your situation and identify if abuse has likely occurred. They can also inform you how the laws for nursing homes will affect your case. Then, the lawyer can help file a claim for compensation on behalf of the victim. Complaints can be filed against the nursing home management or owners, the facility’s staff, and even other nursing home residents.
Nursing home attorneys will help you by gathering evidence to help support your claim. They will closely monitor deadlines to make sure claims are filed timely. Additionally, nursing home lawyers will work tirelessly to seek the compensation that your case deserves.
Compensation for Nursing Home Abuse Victims
Residents who are victims of nursing home abuse in Pennsylvania have the right to seek compensation for their injuries. An attorney an seek payments for medical costs that were incurred due to the abuse. For example, a resident who sustained a broken leg may be able to get their hospital bills paid. Additional compensation may be available for pain and suffering of the victim. If a resident died due to abuse, the lawyer can help to file a wrongful death claim on their behalf.