As the American population matures, more and more people are looking to assisted living and nursing home care. Many families who have faced the decision of entrusting a loved one to the care of a professional facility diligently check out a number of facilities before finalizing the decision.
Even after due diligence, families may find certain signs exist that something may not be right after a loved one has entered a nursing home. Any seasoned Jersey City nursing home abuse lawyer would know that issues such as understaffing, negligent training or a lack of proper supervision can result in elder abuse or neglect.
In January 2009, the family of a 76-year-old woman decided to transfer the woman to a new nursing home facility. The family vetted the new location prior to the move. The daughter of the nursing home resident wished to move her mother to a facility closer to home. She and her mother were both involved in the decision-making process.
Last week the family held a news conference in their Pennsylvania community. The family called the news conference to voice their horror after they discovered the now 78-year-old nursing home resident had been the victim of abuse.
Early this year, the 78-year-old woman started suffering from advanced dementia. She was moved to a dementia unit within the upscale facility. Within three weeks after being transferred to the new unit, the woman started telling her daughter that she was being hurt at the facility. In early March, the woman told her daughter she was being hit.
The daughter took the information to management at the nursing home. By mid-March, management at the facility reported back to the family that there investigation found the abuse allegations were unfounded. Management attributed the allegations to the patient's dementia.
The daughter was not satisfied. She says "[w]e thought there was more to it."
Less than a week later the daughter and her husband visited the mother at the facility. The two could see the mother had bruises on her left hand and wrist. This time the family did not take the matter to administration at the facility. The family took photographs of the bruises and bought a nanny-cam hidden inside a clock.
A short time later the husband and wife watched a shocking video. The couple saw three employees allegedly taunting the partially naked nursing home resident. The mother tried to put on a long sleeve shirt. A worker reportedly is seen grabbing the shirt and the woman's arm. The worker is also allegedly seen in the tape hitting the resident.
The family did not go to administration with the photos and videotape. The family took the evidence to the police. Three workers at the facility have been criminally charged for the abuse. The family intends to file a civil lawsuit related to the nursing home abuse.
Source: Delaware County Times, "Family plans to file lawsuit in Quadrangle abuse case," Cindy Scharr 4 may 2011
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