Congressional Report Shine Light on Alarming Rates of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

You would never expect, witness or wish neglect or abuse upon a loved one when placing them in a nursing home but recent studies show that nursing home abuse takes place far more often than you would imagine.

According to a recent congressional report recently published, prepared by Special Investigations Division of the House Government Reform Committee, finds that as many as 30% of nursing homes in the United States were responsible for nearly 9,000 instances of abuse over a span of 2 years.

Among the issues found include inadequate medical care, malnutrition, bedsores and more.

Over 1,500 of these cases were serious enough “to cause actual harm to residents or to place the residents in immediate jeopardy of death or serious injury,” it said.

The most serious reports cited instances of residents being choked, kicked or punched by members of the staff, causing lacerations, fractured bones and more. In the most sickening cases, sexual abuse has been reported.

Sadly, these cases are not going away. In fact, cases are increasing year over year.

Hitting Close to Home:

According to another recently released report, 70% of 59 nursing homes in one particular Pennsylvania Congressional district failed inspections to determine if federally mandated levels for health and safety were met.

What Can I Do?

There are several things you can do to prevent the abuse and neglect of a love one:

Do you homework – Many instances of abuse and neglect are published. If you are considering a particular nursing home for a loved one, ensure that they are not making news for the wrong reasons.

• Communicate – Do not neglect your loved ones. Visit often, inspect their living arrangements and conditions and if they mention issues, scrutinize their concerns and report them immediately to management.
• Visit often – If your loved ones are incapable of communicating and you feel they may not want to trouble you with their treatment, your own eyes can help determine any issues that are worth investigating.
• Contact an attorney – If you have any reason to believe that you or a loved one has been subject to abuse or neglect of any sort, contact an attorney immediately.

Murray L. Greenfield and Associates has been representing clients who have been the victims of nursing home abuse and neglect for 35 years and are highly experienced in ensuring that your loved ones are compensated fairly for their treatment.

If a loved one has experienced injury or death while in the care of a nursing home, feel free to give our law firm a call for a free consultation.