Too often, nursing home abuse is not properly investigated. Reports of abuse might be ignored by facility staff and administration. Or, if an investigation occurs, it fails to be comprehensive in nature. You should consider speaking with the nursing home abuse attorney in Philadelphia to understand if you case has been properly reported and investigated.
The following are the steps that you should insist upon during a nursing home abuse report and investigation.
1.Notification of police, the Department of Aging, and Department of Health.
The Elder Justice Act requires that nursing facilities report to both the federal government and local law enforcement when they have reasonable suspicion that a crime against an individual receiving care from the facility has taken place. An internal investigation of abuse by the facility is not sufficient; it is critical that parallel investigations through the local law enforcement agency and government entities occur simultaneously.
2.Removal of the suspected abuser’s access to the resident.
During an investigation, a suspected abuser should be prevented from any further access to residents. Once the resident’s safety is assured, the suspected abuser should be interviewed as quickly as possible.
3.Interview of any witnesses or potential witnesses.
It’s important that the facility interview witnesses or potential witnesses as quickly as possible once a suspected abuser is identified. This should occur in a private location. The interviews should be individual and separate from other potential witnesses
4.Interview of the resident and roommate.
Some facilities fail to speak with the resident or roommate due to impairments such as dementia or sensory loss, such as hearing or vision loss. However, an interview should always be attempted as part of a comprehensive investigation.
5 Environmental review.
The environment where the abuse occurred should be thoroughly reviewed and any evidence noted should be preserved for law enforcement collection.
Seek advice from the nursing home abuse lawyer in Philadelphia to help assure that your nursing home abuse case is properly reported and investigated. The seasoned lawyers at the Wieand Law Firm, LLC have years of experience in providing this type of guidance.
One of the fastest-growing issues among the elderly is financial abuse. This type of abuse involves fraud, theft, or misuse of the victim’s assets, such as bank accounts, credit cards, and cash. Nursing home residents are especially vulnerable to financial abuse because they often suffer from diminished mental or physical capacity.
