Can Nursing Homes Be Fined for Verbal Abuse?

Recently, six nursing homes in Connecticut were fined by the state’s Department of Public Health for multiple infractions, including verbal abuse, according to the Hartford Courant.

The Village Crest Center is one of the nursing homes that was fined for verbally abusing two residents. The facility was fined $1,300 for the abuse as well as for giving a resident morphine by mistake. Other incidents that earned nursing homes fines included:

  • Allowing a patient who had been complaining of pain and wanted to go home to fracture his or her spine by jumping out of a window in an escape attempt.
  • Not reporting a resident’s injury, which was sustained when the resident fell and hit his or her head on a toilet dispenser while a nurse’s aide was trying to help him or her onto the toilet.
  • Allowing a resident with dementia to wander away from the facility.

What Can I Do If I Suspect My Loved One Has Been the Victim of Nursing Home Abuse?

If you believe someone you love has been or is being abused or neglected in a nursing home, you have no time to lose. You should make sure they are out of danger, contact the authorities, speak to management at the facility and get in touch with a law firm that handles nursing home abuse cases. There is no reason elders should ever be victims of abuse, especially by those whose job it is to care for them.

For more information about nursing home abuse and what we can do to help you, give us a call today to schedule a free consultation.

Did You Know: Nearly 50 percent of elders with dementia experience some form of abuse, according to DoSomething.org.

Source: http://www.courant.com/health/hc-nursing-home-fines-20141007-story.html