Allentown Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Fighting for Lehigh Valley Seniors
Allowing a long-term residential healthcare facility such as a nursing home, long-term care facility, or skilled nursing facility to care for someone you love requires a tremendous level of trust. We expect staff to care for our family members as their own and ensure that our loved ones are safe in their new home. Caregivers who expose our loved ones to abuse, neglect, or preventable harm must be held accountable.
If you suspect nursing home abuse in a long-term healthcare facility in the Allentown area, speak up for your loved one and contact our experienced attorneys at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys to see how we can help your family. Call, chat live, or fill out our contact form today to learn more from an experienced nursing home abuse attorney from our law firm.
We represent victims of nursing home negligence
Nursing home abuse and elder abuse are common. Elderly residents, many of whom have physical ailments, waning mental faculties, and limited mobility are preyed upon and neglected by those responsible for their care. Social isolation and limited financial resources can leave seniors more vulnerable still. At Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, protecting the rights of the vulnerable is our mission. We have built a national reputation and a 60+ year history of standing up for injured victims and holding negligent individuals and companies accountable to the highest degree.
If you believe your loved one suffered harm because of abuse or neglect, call Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys. Our Allentown nursing home abuse lawyer will begin with a free, confidential consultation during which we will answer all of your questions and evaluate your potential case. As your advocates, we will investigate all aspects of the alleged abuse and bring legal action against those responsible. There is no charge for our services unless we win your nursing home negligence case.
I suspect that my parent has been mistreated at their Allentown nursing home. What should I do?
If someone you love resides in a long-term healthcare facility and is exhibiting the signs and symptoms of physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, financial abuse, or neglect, you should immediately take the following action:
Do Not Panic – Understandably, you may be feeling angry and frustrated that your loved one is not being kept safe, but it is important to remain calm so that you can respond rationally and appropriately to obtain the information you need to put an end to the abuse.
Where Possible, Address Your Concerns with Your Loved One –If your elderly family member is able to clearly and accurately communicate, you should carefully raise your concerns while understanding that this may provoke an emotional response. Document the date, symptoms, and how your loved one responded. Be sure to include any names and specific details. Take photos and/or videos of injuries and symptoms.
Raise Your Concerns with the Nursing Home’s Staff and Administration – Calmly and directly bring any symptoms of abuse that you observed to the attention of the healthcare facility’s staff and administration. Again, document their responses and note any inconsistencies between the various reports.
Report the Nursing Home to the Appropriate Authority – If you suspect that your loved one or another resident is in serious and imminent danger, call the police immediately. Otherwise, you can file an online report against the nursing home with the Pennsylvania Department of Health or Pennsylvania Department of Aging.
Contact and Experienced Nursing Home Abuse Attorney – Your loved ones are entitled to feel safe and protected at the long-term healthcare facility where they live. Understanding elder abuse laws in your state, which protections apply to your family member, and whether the person you love is entitled to compensation for the harm they suffered can be complex and difficult to navigate alone. An Allentown nursing home abuse lawyer at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys will treat your situation with all the seriousness and sensitivity you deserve.
Nursing Home Negligence FAQ
Q: What Is Abuse in Nursing Homes?
This refers to the type of elder abuse that occurs in healthcare facilities with elderly residents. It can include both intentional acts and the failure to act that results in injury or illness. It can take several forms, including:
- Physical Abuse such as hitting, kicking, punching, slapping, pushing, shoving, biting, starving, or scratching a nursing home resident
- Emotional or Psychological Abuse like intentionally taunting, berating, manipulating, teasing, mocking, scaring, tricking, confusing, or yelling at a nursing home resident
- Financial Exploitation, including stealing money or possessions from an elderly resident, withdrawing funds from a resident’s bank or other financial accounts, and tricking a resident into changing important pecuniary interests and directives
- Sexual Abuse, which includes the forced or unwanted sexual contact of any kind
- Neglect, including failures to bathe, feed, groom, wash, dress, or toilet a nursing home resident. Nursing home neglect also includes failure to properly monitor residents’ health and to protect them from harm.
If you suspect that someone you love suffered any one of these types of abuse, call our nursing home abuse attorneys at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys right away.
Q:Who is Responsible for Nursing Home Negligence?
Elder abuse in residential healthcare facilities is most commonly perpetrated by:
- Nursing Home Staff, Nurses, and Aids
- Nursing Home Administrators
- Other Residents of the Healthcare Facility
- Family Members and Visitors of Senior Residents
When watching the person you love interact with members of these groups, pay close attention and look for signs of abuse. Even if the person who harmed your loved one was not a nursing home employee, the facility may still be held responsible for failing to provide a safe environment.
Q: Someone I Love Resides in a Long-Term Healthcare Facility in the Lehigh Valley. How Do I Know If They Are Being Abused?
For a variety of reasons, many seniors are unable to communicate that they are being abused. If an elderly person in your life resides in a nursing home or other community setting, you should familiarize yourself with the signs of nursing home abuse and speak up if you observe any of the following:
- Sudden mood changes, emotional outbursts, or distress
- Loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss
- Physical signs such as broken bones, bruises, scratches, hair loss
- Symptoms mimicking dementia
- Mumbling or trouble speaking
- Unexplained withdrawals from financial accounts
- Sudden changes to financial documents such as wills
- Illogical credit card charges
Any one of these symptoms may be a sign that a nursing home resident is being abused. If you observe any of these signs, let the nursing home abuse attorneys at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys help you investigate the case and hold those who are abusing your loved one accountable.
Q: How Common is Nursing Home Abuse?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 2 out of every 3 nursing home staff members reported that they witnessed or perpetrated abuse within the last year. The WHO further reported that 1 out of every 6 seniors residing in a community healthcare setting is abused. Likewise, 33% of nursing homes have been cited for abuse.
Call a legal team you can trust: the Allentown nursing home abuse lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys are ready to help
For over 60 years, our nursing home abuse attorneys at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys has fought for victims of abuse and their families. We want to help you make sure that any healthcare facility staff members who abuse or take advantage of elderly residents are held accountable and that your loved one can get the care that they deserve. If someone you love resides in a long-term healthcare and you suspect that they may be the victim of neglect or physical, emotional, financial, or sexual abuse, don’t wait! Call a Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys lawyer for a free consultation today.
Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys
609 Hamilton St
Allentown, PA 18101
(610) 857-7424
