Nursing Home Abuse Report » Types of Nursing Home Abuse »Nursing home physical abuse preys on the helpless in Pennsylvania
Signs of Elder Abuse
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Nursing home physical abuse preys on the helpless in Pennsylvania
Nursing home physical abuse preys on the elderly and the helpless and often the physically or mentally impaired. Do you think physical abuse in Pennsylvania nursing homes is a rare occurrence? No, it’s more common than you might think. It’s a deplorable act against the helpless.
Physical abuse is considered the willful inflicting of pain or injury to an elderly person. Physical abuse encompasses hitting, pinching, burning, biting, beating, shaking, slapping, choking, pushing or shoving to severe beatings and restraining with ropes or chains. Physical abuse may also include purposely over or under medicating, depriving the elderly patients of food, and exposing patients to severe weather whether deliberately or accidently.
How does physical abuse in nursing homes happen?
Most problems in nursing homes go unreported. Victims fear retaliation from their perpetrator or simply are too frail or impaired to speak out. State inspections are inadequate both in scope and frequency. Nursing home staff frequently is afraid to speak out for fear of losing their jobs or their own fear of the perpetrator. Sometimes there are two or three bullying perpetrators who challenge each other to batter more. Medical records don’t disclose bruises or injuries. Even when the staff is questioned about injuries, they blame bruises on other causes.
Nursing home employees are not all bad but some are downright scary with previous assault and abuse records and spotty employee history. They lie on their employment applications which are frequently not verified for employment history or police records. There’s a high turnover in the nursing home personnel world which is bound to leave gaps of structure and due diligence on the part of the nursing home. Employees with bad work history and abuse issues bounce from one nursing home to another and nobody bothers to check, further endangering more patients statewide and nationwide.
The following signs may indicate that your family member or loved one is the victim of physical abuse in a nursing home: broken bones; cuts and bruises; internal injuries or bleeding; belt marks or rope marks around the neck, ankles and wrists; sprains; black eyes; and sudden loss of air. If your loved one is not permitted to have private visitors or shows fear or anxiety around a certain staff member – you have a problem.
Express concern for your family member and get emergency medical help. Call the police. Physical abuse is a criminal matter. Get help: call a Pennsylvania nursing home abuse lawyer. Get help for your loved one ASAP. Abuse and battering is rarely a singular incidence. Your loved one deserves better and your family deserves justice.
Reporting Abuse
If you are unsure where to report a case of elder abuse, you can contact an attorney specializing in elder law who can help you with the reporting.
Medicare Eligibility for Nursing Home Care
Medicare will cover nursing home care only if the patient receiving the care needs skilled nursing.
Nursing Home Abuse
Abuse can be physical, emotional, financial and sexual. More ...