The family members of nursing home patients in Pennsylvania naturally expect these patients to be treated with the utmost care given their unique medical situations. In one out-of-state case, however, a woman said her husband was neglected and abused by a health and rehabilitation center. She has now filed a nursing home abuse and neglect suit against the center.
The woman said that while her husband was at the center, he did not receive proper care. She said the facility did not monitor or assess the breakdown of his skin. The staff also reportedly did not implement neither a care plan nor a treatment plan to keep him from suffering this type of breakdown or to prevent it from worsening. The staff are also accused of not turning and repositioning the man.
The woman said her husband's serious injuries were caused by the facility's carelessness and negligence. She said that the facility, furthermore, did not provide the man with the amount of nutrition and food required to prevent malnutrition. The woman is seeking damages.
When a patient is a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, the individual or his or her family has the right to seek compensatory damages. Punitive damages are awarded in cases in which the defendant's behavior is considered to constitute egregious fault. Financial restitution in a case that is fought successfully may help to cover any medical expenses and other losses resulting from the documented incident of neglect. It may also help to address emotional distress or pain and suffering caused by the incident in Pennsylvania.
Source: wvrecord.com, "Woman accuses Huntington Health & Rehabilitation of elder abuse", Kyla Asbury, July 30, 2015