An unfortunate fact of life is that many people cannot care for themselves as they age.  Their loved ones may have to make a difficult decision about their healthcare and may choose to turn for answers to nursing homes or assisted living facilities.  Such facilities should provide a basic level of medical care as well as assistance with day-to-day activities.

Although most nursing homes and assisted living facilities do an adequate job, there are lapses in care.  This negligence, dubbed nursing home abuse, is a serious problem.

• A September 2008 study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that nine of every 10 nursing homes had been cited for violations of federal health and safety standards in 2007. See our Nursing Home Inspections page for more information.
• For-profit homes were more likely to have problems than other types of nursing homes.
• About 20 percent of the complaints verified by federal and state authorities involved the abuse or neglect of patients.

If you believe that your loved one has suffered an injury or a decline in their condition due to the care they have received at their Pennsylvania nursing home, you should consider contacting the PA nursing home abuse attorneys of Munley, Munley, & Cartwright. You should also review our Nursing Home Abuse: Signs & Symptoms page for more information on how to detect abuse.

Our goal is to provide exceptional legal services to our clients. We strive to achieve the highest standard of excellence for the protection of individual rights through teamwork and the use of our considerable resources and experience.

We have offices conveniently located in Scranton, Stroudsburg, Carbondale, Plains, Hazleton, Harrisburg and Hamlin. If you suspect elder abuse or neglect at an elder care facility, please contact our Pennsylvania injury lawyers at (800) 318-LAW1 or contact us online.

Nursing home neglect and abuse can manifest itself in many ways, including:

• Pressure sores or ulcers -- signs that an immobile patient is being left unattended for too long in a bed or wheelchair.
• Misuse of restraints – including use of physical restraints or sedating medicine to control a "difficult" patient that falls outside of accepted medical practice.
• Verbal or emotional abuse.
• Physical neglect – disregard for the necessities of daily living and basic care, including bedsores.
• Medical neglect – failing to provide medical care or failing to contact a physician.
• Verbal or emotional neglect – disregarding patient wishes, including restricting contact with family and friends.
• Personal property abuse.

Mental abuse can be just as damaging as physical abuse, although it may be harder to perceive.  Patients that are humiliated, insulted or threatened are victims of mental abuse.  This category also includes nursing homes that refuse to let a patient make choices about personal issues such as eating or getting out of bed.  Additionally, patients must guard against financial abuse.  Nursing homes may unlawfully take a patient’s money or possessions, or even improperly pressure the patient to include the nursing home or an employee in their will.

Nursing home abuse has many causes. Among them:

• The home may not pay enough to hire qualified employees. 
• Understaffing can lead to overworked employees taking their stress out on the patients.
• Understaffing can result in neglect because there is less time for individual care.
• Some nursing home employees are inadequately trained and cannot cope with the emotional aspects of the job.

Nursing home patients may not be able to communicate about neglect or may be afraid to do so.  Thus, people who have loved ones in nursing homes must be on the lookout for signs of neglect or abuse.

• You should be concerned if a nursing home patient has pressure sores -- signs that an immobile patient is not being moved often enough or being left in a wheelchair too long.
• You should be concerned if your loved one has unexplained bruises or burns, is depressed or is malnourished.
• You should be concerned if the staff refuses to allow a resident to have visitors or be alone with visitors.

A nursing home owner can be held liable if they hire or retain unqualified staff, if they do not properly maintain their premises, or if they use faulty equipment or products that harm patients. If you suspect elder abuse or neglect at a Pennsylvania nursing home, please contact the personal injury law firm of Munley, Munley, & Cartwright at (800) 318-LAW1 or contact us online.