We all want to believe that elderly family members and friends are safe in nursing homes. Unfortunately, this frequently is not the case. Government audits clearly show that safety violations occur in almost every nursing home throughout the United States, so it comes as little surprise that many state oversight agencies and advocates for nursing home residents believe elder abuse is a widespread problem in Pennsylvania.
Berks County nursing home abuse attorney Brent Wieand represents victims of neglect and abuse in Reading and throughout the surrounding communities. If you suspect that a parent or loved one was injured at an assisted living facility, Brent can help you explore your legal options. Brent is a proud honoree of Super Lawyers’ highly selective “Rising Stars,” which accepts only 2.5% of Pennsylvania attorneys, and will provide dedicated representation using his experience to evaluate your situation. Most importantly, he can give advice on how to get your loved one out of danger and protect their legal rights if they have been seriously hurt.
To set up a free and confidential legal consultation with Brent, call The Nursing Home Injury Help Center at (215) 666-7777 today.
How to Identify Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
Neglect is the failure of a caregiver to provide the goods or services necessary to maintain the health or safety of a resident. This includes keeping the resident free from harm, illness, and mental anguish. Neglect often becomes apparent through medical problems such as bed sores, dehydration, broken bones, and disease. Other forms of caregiver negligence are more subtle, and can include failure to assist in personal hygiene, failure to protect from safety hazards, or failure to prevent malnutrition or dehydration.
By far, the most common type of neglect occurs when caregivers allow a resident to have an unnecessary accidental fall. Elderly residents often need help getting around and taking care of themselves, and in fact, residents are often admitted to care facilities because they fall frequently. When a resident is a high fall risk, staff and caregivers must take proper precautions and interventions to prevent accidents and related injuries, such as TBI, hip fractures, and concussions. If they fail to do so, elderly residents can be seriously hurt or killed.
Another avoidable health issue that frequently plagues nursing home residents is the formation of bed sores, which are also called pressure ulcers. In most instances, bed sores are the direct consequence of neglect, and form when caregivers fail to move and clean bed-bound residents. Bed sores can be extremely painful, and can lead to even more serious problems such as gangrene, sepsis, and amputation.
In contrast to neglect, nursing home abuse is the deliberate and intentional mistreatment of residents. Some common forms of elder abuse include:
- Physical abuse, such as hitting or pushing.
- Financial exploitation.
- Deliberate abandonment and/or isolation.
- Any other intentional treatment resulting in physical harm, pain, or mental anguish.
Berks County Elder Care Facilities
The below nursing homes are located in Berks County. You can use the federal Medicare Compare tool to see how these facilities compare to each other. Medicare Compare’s rating system can help you compare important quality factors, such as staffing ratios, licensing survey results, and quality trends. Its five-star rating system is easy to navigate and can be a good indicator of the overall quality of the nursing home.
Berks Heim
1011 Berks Road
Leesport, PA 19533
Berkshire Center
5501 Perkiomen Avenue
Reading, PA 19606
Golden Living Center of Reading
21 Fairlane Road
Reading, PA 19606
The Highlands at Wyomissing
2000 Cambridge Avenue
Wyomissing, PA 19610
Kutztown Manor, Inc.
120 Trexler Avenue
Kutztown, PA 19530
Laurel Center
125 Holly Road
Hamburg, PA 19526
The Henry Health Care Center / The Lutheran Home at Topton
1 South Home Avenue
Topton, PA 19562
Manorcare Health Services
2125 Elizabeth Avenue
Laureldale, PA 19605
Manorcare Health Services
3000 Windmill Road
Sinking Spring, PA 19608
Manorcare Health Services
425 Buttonwood Street
West Reading, PA 19611
Mifflin Center
500 East Philadelphia Avenue
Shillington, PA 19607
Phoebe Berks Health Care Center
1 Heidelberg Drive
Wernersville, PA 19565
Transitional Sub-Acute Unit
2802 Papermill Road
Wyomissing, PA 19610
Spruce Manor Nursing & Rehab. Center
220 South Fourth Ave. & Spruce St.
West Reading, PA 19611
Wyomissing Health and Rehabilitation Center
1000 East Wyomissing Boulevard
Reading, PA 19611-1764
Contact Us for Help
If you are worried that an elderly parent or relative may be the victim of abuse or negligent care, you deserve to have the matter investigated by a lawyer with experience litigating catastrophic injury and wrongful death claims. To set up a private case evaluation free of charge, call a Berks County nursing home abuse lawyer at the Wieand Law Firm at (215) 666-7777. Your loved one’s safety may depend on it, so call right away to start discussing your family’s options.
Disclosure: The Wieand Law Firm is based in Philadelphia, PA. We happily serve clients throughout all of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
