Not So Golden Living at the Golden Living Nursing Homes

You may have heard that the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s lawsuit against the Golden Living Nursing Home chain was recently revived by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The lawsuit alleges that 14 nursing homes across Pennsylvania, including one right here in Philadelphia, were understaffed in order to boost profits for the chain at the expense of the residents who were not properly cared for as a result. As our Philadelphia nursing home abuse attorney, Eric Weitz knows, our elderly loved ones are incredibly vulnerable and even when we think we are doing what is best for them, we cannot always protect them from harm caused by other people, but we can work to see that they are compensated for the harm they have suffered.

Allegations against Golden Living

The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s case against Golden Living contains many allegations including some that are listed below:

• The nursing home understaffed its facilities in order to boost its profits.
• It falsified records to show that work and tasks related to caring for residents were completed when they were not.
• It deceived the Department of Health regarding the level of care that residents received by hiring extra staff during inspections.
• Basic care that was paid for was not provided.
• Staffing practices jeopardized residents’ health and safety and cost them their dignity and comfort.
• The nursing home made misleading claims regarding the care they provided for patients.
• Residents had to wait for hours for food, assistance with soiled bed linens, and toileting help.

Other types of nursing home abuse

The allegations contained in the attorney general’s complaint are incredibly disturbing and sad. Nursing home abuse is unfortunately not uncommon. Nursing home abuse can occur in many forms and some of the more common forms include unsanitary conditions, neglect and isolation, failure to provide basic necessities such as food, physical abuse, emotional abuse, failing to provide necessary medical care, sexual assault, and failing to provide protection and security from other abusive residents.

What to do if you suspect nursing home abuse

Sometimes nursing home residents do not have the mental faculties to understand that they are being abused and sometimes even if they recognize the abuse, they are afraid to speak up. Our Philadelphia nursing home abuse experts at The Weitz Firm, LLC understand that you may not have hard evidence of your loved one’s nursing home abuse, but we have the skills and resources needed to gather evidence and strengthen your case. We will conduct investigations to get to the bottom of your suspicions. We will interview witnesses, review medical records, review complaints against the nursing home and staff, and review nursing home files and records.