When the decision to entrust a nursing home with the care of your loved ones, we expect them to be treated with the best of care. Unfortunately, the staff and conditions in some Pennsylvania nursing homes are not as caring and well-kept as they lead you to believe. If you have a reason to suspect that your family member is a victim of neglect or abuse, contact the elder abuse attorneys at Solomon, Sherman, Gabay, Briskin & Sherman.
Types Of Nursing Home Abuse We Help With
At Solomon, Sherman, Gabay, Briskin & Sherman, our Philadelphia nursing home abuse lawyers have extensive experience helping family members of victims who have sustained a range of types of abuse. This includes the following:
- Physical nursing home abuse: This type of abuse typically occurs when a nursing home staff member abuses a resident under their care. This can also include resident-on-resident abuse. Physical nursing home abuse includes a range of actions, such as the following:
- Punching
- Burning
- Slapping
- Shoving
- Using unnecessary roughness
- Unnecessarily using restraints
- …and more
- Sexual nursing home abuse: Sexual abuse in a nursing home includes any type of sexual contact between nursing home staff and residents or between two residents. This type of abuse is incredibly traumatic for victims and can include touching, oral stimulation, penetration, and more.
- Emotional and psychological nursing home abuse: Emotional and psychological abuse in a nursing home can be both verbal and non-verbal. This type of abuse occurs anytime staff members or other residents intentionally harm the mental well-being of a resident. This type of abuse can include:
- Isolating a resident from their friends or family
- Manipulating a resident’s decisions
- Calling a person names
- Insulting a person’s intelligence
- Intimidating a resident
- Financial nursing home abuse: Nursing home residents often rely on the staff members of the facility to help manage their finances. However, this leaves nursing home residents vulnerable to identity theft or theft of their assets.
- Neglect: Neglect refers to a failure of nursing home staff members to provide a resident with their basic needs. This includes food, water, shelter, clean clothing, clean bedding, medication, wound treatment, etc.
Exposing Nursing Home Abuse And Neglect
Nursing homes and assisted living facilities with under-trained, understaffed and uncaring employees are a disservice to their function. It promotes apathy, anger and frustration in the workplace that can be taken out on residents. Our nursing home abuse lawyers can tap into investigative resources and state regulations on the standard of care to understand where the negligence lies. There are several indications of abuse and neglect on which we can build your case.
- Any type of neglect causing injury
- Bedsores are caused by not re-positioning bed-ridden residents on a regular basis leading to life-threatening infections
- Falls out of bed, out of chair, during transfer of locations
- Extreme weight loss due to malnutrition and dehydration. Accounts of being “punished” by withholding food or attention
- Evidence of physical abuse like bruises and fractures
- Injuries resulting from falling or being dropped due to inadequate handling when moving patients
- Unexplained nursing home death due to failure to seek appropriate medical attention
What Kind Of Compensation Is Available To Victims In These Cases?
There may be various types of compensation available to victims of nursing home abuse in Philadelphia. Every case is different, but the team at Solomon, Sherman, Gabay, Briskin & Sherman has a track record of success securing the following types of compensation for nursing home abuse victims:
- Complete coverage of any medical bills caused by the abuse
- Payment for relocation to a new and safe facility
- Reimbursement for the costs of staying at the nursing home where the abuse occurred
- Compensation for any necessary psychological or emotional counseling
- Loss of quality of life damages
- Pain and suffering damages
The total amount of compensation available in these cases will vary depending on the facts related to each particular situation.
How Long Do You Have To File A Nursing Home Abuse Claim In Philadelphia?
Nursing home abuse victims (or their family members) in Philadelphia have a limited amount of time to file a lawsuit against the alleged negligent party. The Pennsylvania statute of limitations for personal injury claims is two years from the date the injury occurs. This gives victims and/or their family members a two-year window to file a lawsuit against the alleged negligent nursing home or abuser. Failing to file a claim within this timeframe could result in the victim being unable to recover the compensation they are entitled to.
Contact Us For Your Free Elder Abuse Consultation in Philadelphia, PA
We are available to speak openly about your concerns. If we can help you pursue justice and financial compensation for your relative, you will pay no court fees unless we win for you.