AG Investigators Visit Two Erie Nursing Homes
Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane is serious about cracking down on elder abuse and nursing home misconduct. The other day, her office announced a major expansion of its investigation into the Golden Living chain of nursing homes that have 36 facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Now, members of her team have executed a search warrant on two Erie-area nursing homes. At one of these care facilities, Saint Mary’s Home of Erie East, the AG’s team left with information contained in computers, hard drives, and boxes that may lead to fines or convictions.
Nursing Home Abuse Awareness
AG Kane has made nursing home abuse a priority, and she has kept her word. But investigations like hers can only scratch the surface of elder abuse. Instead, we all need to be vigilant for the signs of abuse or neglect among our elderly loved ones. One of the greatest challenges to ending nursing home abuse is to raise awareness that it has reach the level of a public health crisis. Every year, millions of senior Americans suffer abuse or neglect in nursing homes.
What Can We Do When an Elderly Loved One Has Been Abused?
Placing our elderly loved ones in a nursing home or in the hands of a care worker involves an incredibly high level of trust. Unfortunately, a small number of care facilities and care workers will breach that trust.
Elder care abuse and neglect involves the preventable injury of an elderly person in the care of a healthcare professional, most often at a healthcare facility, but also in an elderly person’s private home. Typically, elderly family members suffer injuries as a result of neglect or carelessness by healthcare workers who fail to do their job. Less frequently, a care facility employee will intentionally abuse an older person, for any number of reasons, but most commonly out of frustration with their own employment situation. Such cases often also involve a shocking lack of supervision by managers, nurses, and physicians. Whether or not lack of supervision is directly involved, however, care facilities have a legal obligation to protect residents under their care, who also often happen to be paying for their services.
Whether a nursing home resident is harmed with intent or suffers neglect resulting from an unsanitary or disorganized care facility, civil legal action is the best way to recover damages. Not only can victims of elder abuse recover reparations for what they have suffered, but taking action against the culprits can also help prevent such misconduct from continuing.
PA & NJ Nursing Home Law Firm
If you or someone you love has been a victim of nursing home abuse, please contact our elder abuse attorneys immediately at 1-215-462-3330 or by using our online contact form.
