Elder Abuse Rampant in many United States Nursing Homes

Statistics reveal that nearly one-third of United States nursing homes were cited for abuse violations during a two-year period. That’s one out of three nursing homes in the United States that we cannot trust to watch over our aging parents or grandparents. Most of the violations reported caused actual physical harm to residents or placed them in harm’s way.

Statistics such as this are nerve-wracking for people who are faced with the decision to put a loved one in a long-term care facility. Our society claims to hold its elders in high regard, yet statistics like these tend to prove otherwise. In fact, according to the Administration on Aging, for each incident that is reported, five go unreported.

Family and friends must remain vigilant when visiting their loved one in a nursing home; this is not to say they are responsible for unreported abuse. The blame must not be laid on the family or friends of the one abused. Residents must understand their rights and realize that they are not prisoners to be controlled or abused. For more information, speak with a knowledgeable nursing home abuse attorney in Philadelphia.

Knowing Who to Trust

The basic rule to keep in mind when you need to trust someone with your aging parents or grandparents is: never trust anyone completely. No one will care for them to your precise standards, and even in-home care providers must be watched carefully. Consider buying security cameras for your home if you plan to bring a care provider into your home.

Create a list of questions to ask if you need to rely on a nursing home to care for your elderly loved one. Contact several, and interview each of them with purpose. Ask the important questions like staffing and how often they run on a skeleton crew. It’s very important that they always have enough staff members available to give individual care as needed.

Make sure to ask if the nursing home or any employees have ever been cited for safety or abuse violations. Ask how those issues were dealt with, and how future violations will be handled. Ask if you can randomly visit and observe before you make your final decision.

More Frightening Statistics

The prevalence of elder abuse in United States nursing homes is frightening and depressing to say the least. One-third of nursing homes, as previously stated, have been cited for abuse violations. Broken down into numbers that are more easily understood, that’s equivalent to about 6 million Americans age 60 or older who have been abused in some way by a caregiver in a long-term care facility. Abuse frequency estimates range from 2% to 10% based on circumstances and definitions of abuse; every five seconds, an elderly person is abused.

California, Florida, New York, Texas and Pennsylvania have the most reported cases of nursing home abuse each year. These 5 states account for more than one-third of all reported elder abuse in the United States. Pennsylvania has some of the best nursing home lawyers in the business. Contact a Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyer if you fear your loved one has suffered at the hands of a caregiver.

Help combat Pennsylvania nursing home abuse statistics by reporting all issues you discover. Our nation’s elderly deserve the best. An experienced attorney will offer a free initial consultation and be able to examine the details of your claim to inform you as to your next steps.