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Elder Abuse & Nursing Home Neglect
Nursing Home Abuse & Protecting Your Loved One
In and around the Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania area, the types of abuse in nursing homes often include: physical abuse, psychological abuse, financial abuse/theft, and sexual abuse. Each type of nursing home abuse is different and each has its own signs and symptoms.
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse arises when a nursing home staff member or another nursing home resident intentionally uses physical force against a nursing home resident. Some common examples include: slapping, scratching, pushing, punching, kicking, choking, and hair pulling.
Improper use of resident restraints such as wheelchair seat belts, bed rails, or drugs may also be a form of physical abuse. Symptoms of physical abuse of a nursing home resident include:
unexplained bruises
scratches or skin burns
unexplained bone fractures
uncharacteristic behavior such as distress, depression, anger, and violence
Psychological Abuse
Psychological abuse occurs when a nursing home staff member or another nursing home resident says or does something through verbal or nonverbal acts that inflicts anguish, fear, humiliation or distress on a nursing home resident.
Psychological abuse of nursing home residents can take many forms, including:
threats
coercion
yelling
belittling
isolation
Signs of psychological abuse include:
distress
agitation
depression
non-responsiveness
and uncharacteristic violence
Financial Abuse / Theft
Financial abuse/theft occurs when a nursing home staff member or another nursing home resident illegally or improperly acquires a nursing home resident’s money, property, and/or possessions for his or her own personal gain.
Signs of financial abuse/theft include:
depleted bank accounts
missing money
missing shoes and clothing
missing personal items such as:
cell phones
jewelry
books
knickknacks
picture frames
and other personal possessions
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse occurs whenever there is any type of nonconsensual sexual contact between a nursing home resident and the nursing home staff or another nursing home resident. Examples of sexual abuse include unwanted or inappropriate touching, rape, sodomy, sexually explicit photography, and sexual harassment.
Symptoms of sexual abuse include:
bruises or scratches in a resident’s genital area;
bruises, scratches on a female resident’s breasts;
significant, unexplained fear or anxiety;
unexplained bleeding;
uncharacteristic behavioral changes;
or severe depression.
Staff-on-Resident Abuse
Nursing home abuse can take the form of staff-on-resident abuse. It often arises because residents are left in the care of individuals who are often overworked, underpaid, and ill-equipped to care for the needs of the residents. Inevitably staff frustrations arise and at times these frustrations result in the abuse of nursing home residents. Any abusive behavior by a staff member is inexcusable and intolerable. It is also in violation of federal and state laws including those in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
Resident-on-Resident Abuse
Nursing home abuse can also take the form of resident-on-resident abuse. It often results from the staff’s failure to separate and keep safe nursing home residents from other residents with known proclivities for violence. This failure to keep known violent residents away from the other residents may be a failure by the nursing home to properly assess and/or supervise residents. Such failures may amount to nursing home neglect. Federal, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey laws and regulations require all residents be properly assessed and supervised to ensure not only their own safety but also the safety of others around them.
Get Your Questions Answered
An experienced nursing home attorney is specialized in recognizing and identifying the signs and symptoms of nursing home abuse. A nursing home abuse attorney is also familiar with uncooperative nursing homes that often prefer to have such occurrences go undetected.
Contact a Nursing Home Abuse Attorney
Brian P. Murphy is an experienced and well-regarded nursing home abuse attorney who has successfully represented many elderly residents subjected to nursing home abuse and neglect. Mr. Murphy handles cases throughout Philadelphia / Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and practices law at an established law firm in Trenton. If you see signs of nursing home abuse or neglect, take immediate action today. Contact nursing home abuse attorney, Brian P. Murphy for a free, one-on-one consultation.
Mr. Murphy’s former clients have provided their experience on the testimonial page.
All Philadelphia / Pennsylvania and New Jersey nursing home abuse cases are personally handled by Brian Murphy.
All Philadelphia / PA and NJ nursing home abuse cases are handled via a contingency fee arrangement.
* Nothing on this website is to be construed as attorney advice or otherwise creating an attorney-client relationship.
