Nursing home abuse is not necessarily limited to physical or verbal abuse. Financial abuse is becoming more prevalent as the economy worsens. The elderly, a vulnerable and often trusting population, are an easy target for financial abuse. Frequently checking into your loved ones accounts is vital in preventing this crime from taking place. Be highly selective of who is allowed access into bank accounts. Even employees of a nursing home could have devious intentions.
Staff Member Steals $28,000 from 94 Residents
A Connecticut nursing home is being fined $3,000 after $27,472 was stolen from 94 residents by a staff member. The administrators of the Village Green of Waterbury discovered the theft in October. According to administrator Linda Garcia, the nursing home’s account manager had full access to the resident’s accounts. She would make a request on behalf of a resident to withdrawal money, but requested more than the resident and kept the difference for herself. “We asked her for an explanation. When she couldn’t provide one, we terminated her,” said Garcia. The nursing home is currently in the process of reimbursing all of the residents. According to an inspection report by the state Department of Health, “money was withdrawn from cognitively impaired residents’ accounts without the responsible parties’ consent.”
Another incident of nursing home abuse that the facility is being fined for is an event in June when a nurse’s aide slapped a resident on the shoulder in order to wake him up and yelled “get out!” The resident happened to be the president of the resident’s council and reported the incident. There was an internal investigation held by the nursing home and the aide was fired.
Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia
We recommend that you monitor your elderly loved one’s finances closely to avoid financial abuse. If your loved one is currently a resident of a nursing home or care facility and you are worried that the care they are receiving is negligent, abusive, or inadequate, or that they are being taken advantage of financially, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.