Americans are living longer than ever. One result is that there are now nearly 1.6 million nursing home residents in the United States. In Pennsylvania alone, there are approximately 80,000 people living in nursing homes.

If your loved one is admitted to a nursing home, personal care home or assisted living facility and you have concerns about their care, the following can be signs of neglect:

• the development of bedsores
• broken bones
• unexplained injuries
• malnutrition or dehydration
• unexpected or unexplained death

There are many resources available to assist you with questions. Concerns can be voiced to these entities:

• local office of the Area Agency on Aging at www.carepennsylvania.org, or by calling 800-989-8137 for information and other resources.
• local office of the Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Ombudsman at www.aging.state.pa.us, or by calling 717-783-8975 for information and other resources.
• A complaint can also be made to the PA Department of Health at www.health.state.pa.us, or by calling 877-724-3258.

Finally, concerned family and friends can join the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, a national group dedicated to improving nursing home care, www.theconsumervoice.org.

In Pennsylvania, the courts recognize nursing home neglect and permit the filing of a lawsuit. If you have a question about this type of legal action, call our office and we can refer you to someone who can help.