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When you admit your elderly loved ones into an assisted living facility, you trust the staff and organization to provide for their daily needs and treat all residents with the dignity and respect they deserve. That is why it can be upsetting to discover unsanitary living conditions or other forms of abuse. Thankfully, you can report these issues to the state and local agencies, holding the facility accountable for any neglect or abuse.
If you need guidance on how to report poor nursing home care in Philadelphia, Lowenthal & Abrams can assist you. Our nursing home abuse attorneys can help you prepare the necessary paperwork and review your potential options for filing a legal claim seeking financial compensation.
Which Authority Should You Contact?
It can seem counterintuitive, but you should begin by filing a complaint directly with the nursing home’s administrator or director. The facility must investigate complaints and implement corrective actions, which is an important part of reporting poor care in nursing homes in Philadelphia. Sometimes the complaint resolves the issue, especially if it involves a single employee acting without the administrator’s knowledge until you file the complaint.
However, the organization may not take the complaint seriously, even if it receives it. In this case, it becomes necessary to escalate the matter to the governmental authorities.
The proper agency generally depends on the type of issue, and the Pennsylvania Adult Protective Services handles complaints about physical and emotional abuse. You should direct issues involving improper healthcare and poor living conditions at the facility to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. If the resident is in danger, it is also perfectly fine to contact law enforcement.
Gathering Supporting Evidence
In most instances, reporting abuse at the assisted living facility is enough, as the government agency initiates its own investigation. This usually involves interviews with staff and administrators at the facility and a review of internal documents. It can also consist of on-site inspections and observations.
However, your family can help by collecting additional evidence to support the investigation when reporting neglect at long-term care facilities in Philadelphia. Taking pictures of physical injuries or conditions at the nursing home can help because it makes it harder for someone to hide evidence before the agency begins its work. Similarly, recording any details, such as dates, times, and who was in the room, can be useful.
Facilities that fail to maintain safe conditions or properly document resident care may violate federal nursing home regulations under 42 Code of Federal Regulations § 483. Proper documentation can help demonstrate whether the nursing home breached its legal duty to protect residents from harm.
You can use the evidence to support a civil claim against the organization. This is where families and residents can recover financial compensation for the abuse, including medical treatment and mental pain and suffering.
Call an Attorney To Learn How To Report Mistreatment in a Philadelphia Nursing Home
If you suspect that your elderly loved ones have suffered harm but do not know how to report poor nursing home care in Philadelphia, the attorneys at Lowenthal & Abrams can help you prepare to speak with the agency so it can investigate the situation.
They can also help you file a claim for damages against those responsible. Contact Lowenthal & Abrams to schedule a case review with one of their attorneys.
