Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Lawyer:
Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
We entrust the care of vulnerable adults to nursing home administrators and staff, relying on them to provide care that allows our loved ones to live with dignity. Many receive capable and loving care. Nursing homes are businesses, however. Too often, cost-cutting measures result in negligence or abuse.
Elder abuse—depriving senior members of our community of dignity and care
Abuse of vulnerable adults can occur in many different ways. Those who are vulnerable include: elderly and disabled residents of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other long-term care facilities; patients served by home health care aides; and those who are dependent on family caretakers. In all of these settings, people are vulnerable to physical or emotional injury as a result of abuse or neglect. If you suspect a nursing home resident or other vulnerable adult has been injured as a result of negligence and would like to discuss the situation with a member of our medical malpractice/nursing home abuse practice, please contact our Pittsburgh law firm, Rosen Louik and Perry.
Nursing home abuse and nursing home neglect are general terms used to describe a number of actions:
- Physical abuse causing unnecessary physical pain or injury
- Physical abuse leading to wrongful death
- Sexual abuse: any non-consensual sexual contact
- Emotional abuse: humiliation, intimidation, or threats
- Financial or material exploitation: using a resident's resources, without his or her consent, for someone else's benefit.
- Neglect or failure of a caretaker to provide adequate nutrition, hydration, social interaction, hygiene, or supervision
- Medication errors, over sedation
Weight loss (a possible sign of dehydration or malnutrition), bruises, fractures, anxiety, depression, poor hygiene, wandering (elopement), use of physical restraints, lack of activity, and lethargy are all warning signs, and can lead to serious or fatal personal injury.
A common and extremely dangerous problem resulting from dehydration, failure to move a patient regularly, and poor hygiene is bedsores. Also called decubitus ulcers or pressure sores, bedsores are preventable injuries. If not tended to, they can bore down to the bone and result in death.
The roots of most nursing home neglect and abuse cases lie in cost-cutting measures such as failure to perform background checks, understaffing, and poor training and supervision.
Attorneys at Rosen Louik and Perry have successfully prosecuted nursing home abuse and neglect claims that resulted in substantial awards for victims. If you are concerned and would like to speak to one of our lawyers, call 800.440.5297 or e-mail our Pittsburgh office to arrange a free consultation and case evaluation.
Rosen Louik & Perry, P.C., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Lawyers
