Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect
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Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect
As our society ages, we have had to increasingly rely on nursing homes, long term care facilities, assisted living and personal care homes to help care for our loved ones. Our loved ones are often elderly, unable to move or walk independently, or even speak for themselves. They may also be confused mentally, and have medical and age-related conditions that require specialized care. It is a difficult process to decide to place a loved one in a nursing home or other living facility, and we trust these homes will follow the law and give the care and supervision they promised.
When the nursing home or facility does not give our loved ones proper care, it feels like a betrayal of the trust we placed in them.
Examples of cases we have successfully handled and gotten an award for our clients include:
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Failing to answer call bells
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Not following orders to use a bed alarms
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Improperly evaluating a resident’s fall risk
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Administering the wrong medications, or in the wrong dosage
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Using the assist of only one person for transfers when two was required
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Failing to perform skin checks and follow wound care protocols
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Neglecting to check a resident’s neurological status after a fall
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Failing to monitor a resident’s nutritional status
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Giving a resident a regular diet rather than soft food
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Having insufficient number of staff on duty to care for the residents
Nursing home and facility neglect often leads to serious injuries, including: broken bones such as fractured femur or hips, often requiring surgery with hardware or prosthetic joint placement; suffocation; respiratory complications from long bone fractures, usually leading to death; brain bleeds; bed sores and decubitus ulcers, often requiring debridement and removal of damaged tissue and muscle; infection and sepsis; choking; amputation; and death.
We are experienced in Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Cases
The attorneys at Cohen, Feeley, Altemose & Rambo, have handled these cases for decades, and have the experience you need to successfully get justice and compensation for you or your loved one. Call us at (610) 625-2100 for your free consultation.
Resources
Nursing Home Abuse Questions
What is “long term care?
Where can I find out more information about nursing homes?
Medicare has a website at Medicare.gov/Nursing Home Compare, a resource to help understand the questions to ask, and how a nursing home stacks up against its competitors. Pennsylvania’s Department of Health has a website at Health.pa.gov/Nursing Home Locator, where you can locate facilities in your area, and review surveys and discussions of deficiencies and corrections.
What are potential signs of nursing home or long-term care neglect and abuse?
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Cuts and bruising -
Bed sores -
Broken bones -
Falls -
Unexplained weight loss -
Change in mental status -
Medication errors -
Dehydration -
Refusal to speak, eat or take medications -
Changes in mental status -
Choking
What agencies can I call if I think my loved one is being neglected or abused in long-terms care?
You can report suspected neglect or abuse to the state, by calling the Statewide Elder Abuse Hotline at 1-800-490-8505 or contacting the local Area Agency on Aging (which has a locator at Aging.pa.gov).
What is the best way to pick a nursing home?
Make an informed choice. Look at the websites at Medicare.gov/Nursing Home Compare and Health.pa.gov/Nursing Home Locator. Social workers can be a good resource if you are coming from another facility to let you know what is available and where they are located. Visit the facilities, speak not only to the admissions staff but those who would provide different services such as therapy, nursing, etc. Observe the physical layout, the rooms, the staff, and interactions with other residents while you are there. Make a list of questions and make sure you get your answers. Speaking to other families who have had loved ones at the same facility is very important. Also, picking a facility close to family members and activities is a great way to make sure you can visit as often as possible.
How can I tell if an injury is from long-term care abuse or neglect?
The law firm of Cohen, Feeley, Altemose & Rambo has decades of experience in successfully evaluating, pursuing and making a recovery for our clients in long-term care and nursing home neglect and abuse cases. If you or someone you love has been injured as a result of long-term care or nursing home abuse or neglect, call us at (610) 490-8877 for your free consultation.
