Pennsylvania nursing homes are in a state of crisis. From serious safety violations to severe staffing shortages, nursing homes across the state are facing critical issues when it comes to safely providing for their residents. If you have a loved one who resides in a Pennsylvania nursing home, it’s essential to be aware of the many issues plaguing Pennsylvania senior living facilities.
Unfortunately, many of the issues that Pennsylvania nursing homes are currently facing lead to the neglect and abuse of the individuals under the care of these facilities. It’s important to know the signs of elder abuse and recognize when it’s time to consult a nursing home abuse attorney.
Staffing Shortages, Safety Issues, and Shutdowns
It’s not an understatement to say that the state of nursing homes in Pennsylvania is dire. Back in 2019, news broke that the Department of Health had issued 169 different safety warnings to PA nursing homes. Rather than improving over the past few years, nursing home safety and rates of elder abuse seem to have only grown worse.
In the fall of 2023, the Biden Administration set new federal staffing requirements for nursing homes across the county. These new laws required a variety of changes to nursing home staffing policies, such as requiring that a registered nurse (RN) be on-site 24/7 to ensure resident safety and access to medical care. Throughout late 2023 and 2024, Pennsylvania nursing homes have struggled unsuccessfully to keep up with these requirements.
Nursing Home Safety Issues
In 2022, PA’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) conducted an audit of 20 randomly selected nursing homes that participated in Medicare and Medicaid. Far from seeing an improvement from the 2019 sanction rate, the OIG identified a staggering 586 deficiencies in the audited nursing homes.
This cross-section offers a small glimpse into the astounding degree to which Pennsylvania nursing homes are utterly failing on a large scale to provide their residents with the care and safety they’re owed.
While the late 2023 federal regulations were intended to protect nursing home residents, the desired outcome has not been seen in Pennsylvania. Instead, multiple long-standing assisted living facilities, such as Jefferson Hills Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center and Harrisburg’s Butler Street Senior Living, have shut down with little advance notice for the residents who called these facilities home.
News headlines in 2024 continue to report stories of serious staffing shortages in nursing homes across the state. These shortages, in turn, are leading to serious patient safety concerns. Lawsuits, abuse allegations, and sanctions for delayed medications and biohazard waste are just a few of the topics that 2023 and 2024 news stories centered around.
If your loved one has suffered in a Pennsylvania nursing home, they may be eligible for compensation. Schedule a free consultation with a Pennsylvania nursing home abuse lawyer by calling Wapner Newman at (800) 529-6600.
Reporting Nursing Home Abuse in Pennsylvania
Elder abuse and neglect is illegal in Pennsylvania. In 1997, the Pennsylvania Legislature mandated reporting of abuse of elderly and care-dependent adults. The Pennsylvania Older Adults Protective Services Act (OAPSA) applies to all administrators and employees of long-term care facilities, older-adult daily living centers, and personal care homes, as well as personal care and home healthcare workers who provide services in care-dependent persons’ homes. The Act also requires state police background checks for most long-term care workers.
Some of the many types of nursing home treatment that are considered instances of elder abuse or neglect include:
- Illegal use of chemical and physical restraints
- Unreasonable confinement
- Physical or sexual harm, assault, harassment, or abuse
- Depriving a patient of adequate care, food, water, or medication
- Undue influence or coercion, intimidation
- Taking property or material and financial exploitation.
Anyone who suspects violations, abuse, or safety problems at a nursing home can contact the Pennsylvania Department of Health Division of Nursing Care Facilities Director by calling, emailing, or completing an online form.
Taking Legal Action Against Nursing Home Abuse in Pennsylvania
If you or a loved one was seriously injured or someone has died at a nursing home, you should seek legal assistance. The seasoned and compassionate Pennsylvania elder abuse attorneys at Wapner Newman offer a free consultation to examine the facts of your nursing home situation. Our unique legal approach helps ensure that no stone is left unturned as we investigate and document every detail relating to your claim and do everything possible to get you the settlement you deserve.
Don’t let a bad nursing home situation get worse. Contact Wapner Newman online or call our offices today at (800) 529-6600 for your free consultation.