For immediate release, June 6, 2014
Residents of long term care facilities like nursing homes are our most vulnerable citizens and absolutely deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. However, the unfortunate reality is that long term care abuse and neglect are very common problems in this country.
Many nursing homes, including nursing homes in the Pennsylvania-New Jersey area, are for-profit entities and exist solely to make a profit. Many nursing homes are in fact, operated by large corporations. This means that corners are often cut, and staff members such as nurses and certified nursing assistants are often underpaid and undertrained. This explains why many nursing homes face low retention rates. Put simply, employees of long term care facilities, the individuals who literally provide care for our loved ones, come and go. In turn, this puts residents of nursing homes at increased risk of abuse and neglect.
So far this week, there have been two serious cases of nursing home abuse and neglect.
Nursing Home Waits Days to Inform Families About Alleged Sexual Abuse of Residents
A North Carolina nursing home is being investigated after waiting almost a week to inform law enforcement and the families of residents who had been allegedly sexually abused by a fellow resident. According to a local news report, one of the victims suffers from Alzheimer’s/dementia.
Self-Preservation is a Strong Instinct, When it Comes to Nursing Home Investigations
Self-preservation is a strong instinct and explains why those in charge of institutions like a nursing home may wait before taking appropriate action, such as notifying law enforcement. Individuals in charge may fear an investigation which may ultimately lead to losing their jobs.
In addition, a nursing home’s failure to respond in a timely fashion often occurs due to the lack of a clear policy about the protocol for incidents like resident-on-resident crime and employee-on-resident crime. Nursing homes which have such policies often fail to provide consistent training about these kinds of protocols, which often leads to misunderstanding about the proper course of action.
Nursing Home Resident Falls from Wheelchair Lift, Suffers Serious Injuries
A 75-year old Florida nursing home resident suffered major injuries after falling from a defective wheelchair lift. The woman suffered broken ribs, a broken collarbone (clavicle), and a brain hemorrhage. The incident occurred after a wheelchair lift failed to operate correctly, causing the resident and an employee to fall.
According to a local news report, the nursing home failed to fix the wheelchair lift which had been broken for about a year after having been run over by a car. The cost to fix the lift was $1,600. The nursing home was subsequently fined $2,500 by a state agency for operating a defective wheelchair lift. Source: State of Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration, May 27, 2014 Final Order
PA & NJ Nursing Home Abuse-Neglect Lawyers
Please call our nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers for a free initial consultation. (215) 985-0777
Disclaimer: This website does not create any attorney-client relationship or provide legal advice. Our lawyers provide legal advice only after accepting a case. It is imperative that any action taken is done on advice of counsel. Read full disclaimer below.