Sadly, it is far too common that adult children neglect their aging parents. As elder abuse lawyers, we know too well that caring for someone in their old age is a daunting task and takes a lot of effort and dedication. Adult children want to think that they are the best person to care for their parents, but sometimes they get frustrated or overwhelmed and begin to neglect or abuse their loved one.
Daughter Goes on Two Week Vacation and Leaves Elderly Mother Alone
In 2008, Susan Piro left her 91 year old mother, Barbara Mary Piro, home alone for two weeks while she went on vacation. Susan, a nurse and Barbara’s sole caretaker, was fully aware that her mother was not able to take care of herself, admitting that she would not be able to wash or change her clothes while she was gone. Susan left casseroles, fruit, biscuits, and canned food on her mother’s bedside table for her to consume. She left a toilet in the room and fit her for incontinence pads but acknowledged that her mother would not have been able to empty the waste from the toilet herself.
The elderly woman’s great nephew, Andrew Ghouse, came to the house to check on Barbara but did not enter the home. He asked her if she needed anything but she insisted that she was fine and responded “If I need your help, I’ll ask for it.” When he returned a few days later the woman had died. The coroner found that Piro had an untreated broken ankle, where the bone was exposed, that prevented her already limited mobility. This led to abscess formation, pressure sores and fatal thrombosis.
It is appalling that Susan felt that the accommodations that she made for her mother were acceptable. If she was going to leave her mother for that period of time, she should have found another caretaker to watch her the entire time. She clearly knew that her mother was not capable of caring for herself for a few days, let a lone a few weeks. This is unacceptable, no matter how much her mother fought her to be left alone. No one should have to suffer in that way. Barbara died alone, unable to move, in her own filth, surrounded by rotting food.
Elder Abuse Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia
If your loved one is currently under the care of an individual or they are a resident of a nursing home or care facility and you are worried that the care they are receiving is negligent, abusive, or inadequate you should speak with an elder abuse lawyer. Contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation with one of our elder abuse lawyers at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.