Elderly Care: Who Will Care for Our Aging Parents?

As adults, we’re faced with some seriously difficult questions and dilemmas. One such situation we may find ourselves facing is: who will care for our elderly parents and how will they afford the costs of such care? Nursing homes and long term care facilities can be very expensive and our beloved elderly family members risk abuse and neglect.

The baby boomer generation will soon reach retirement age. Innovations in health care allow them to live longer, fuller, richer lives than in years past. Are facilities for our elderly citizens the best option?

Many grown children would prefer to care for their elderly at home if they could. The reality of the situation is most people simply have too many responsibilities. Modern day life and all of its complications make it virtually impossible for most to be able to provide proper elder care at home.

As a result many of our elderly who can no longer care for themselves at home are relying upon long term care facilities and nursing homes. These institutions range from assisted living environment to full round-the-clock care depending on the level of care required. No matter the reason help is needed; we expect the best care money can buy when we’re faced with the idea of assisted living.

Many long term care facilities are owned by non-profit organizations. Many nursing homes and similar facilities have reduced their staff or hired less qualified workers for lower salaries in an attempt to decrease overall costs.

Unfortunately these cuts in cost often result in neglect or abuse; intentional or otherwise. Residents who require assistance in daily living activities such as bathing, feeding, walking, toileting etc are not receiving adequate care.

Negligent conduct may be exhibited in a broad range of behaviors, from utilization of procedures to a momentary lapse of attention that are likely to produce accidents and injuries. This type of neglect may result in disastrous consequences such as debilitating falls, the development of painful and immobilizing decubitus ulcers, malnutrition and sometimes death.

Nursing home facilities have undergone many changes over the years. Nursing home industries have created an environment existing of corruption, neglect, and abuse. A lot of research and random visits are recommended before deciding on an assisted living facility.

More and more long term facilities are providing unsatisfactory care resulting in an increase in the incidence of nursing home neglect and abuse. Many forms of abuse run rampant in some facilities, including emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. General neglect and financial abuse are also issues facing long term care facilities today.

Reporting Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse

Reporting elderly abuse and neglect in long term care facilities is mandatory in most states. Failure to report elder abuse is failure to perform the job of protecting the residents of the facility. The individual who fails to report abuse may be found guilty of a misdemeanor offense. Discuss this type of issue with an experienced Pennsylvania nursing home abuse lawyer to fully understand where your case lies.

Employees of the facility aren’t the only people who can report nursing home neglect or abuse. It is your duty as a citizen to report any of these behaviors to the authorities if you have witnessed them in a long term care facility. Lawyers who specialize in such cases are often referred to as nursing home lawyers.

State courts often view elderly abuse cases such as battery, criminal assault, rape, theft, personal injury actions, fraud, protective proceedings and breach of duty. State laws vary over matters such as the age at which a victim is considered eligible under the law, the definition of types of elderly abuse considered under the law as well as whether it qualifies as a civil or criminal case.

Investigation procedures & settlement amounts may also differ from state to state. In Pennsylvania, for example, you look for an experienced Pennsylvania nursing home lawyer to discuss your claims. Never attempt to represent yourself in court as these situations may spiral out of control very quickly and be very difficult to prove.