(914) 220-1086Located just 20 miles outside of New York City, Yonkers is a great place to live. The fourth largest city in New York, Yonkers, is home to more than 200,000 people. A sizable percentage of these residents (16.8%) are over the age of 65, making Yonkers the oldest major city in New York.
Despite having a large number of older residents, Yonkers lacks high-quality, well-staffed nursing homes. This can leave residents vulnerable to nursing home abuse, including physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, and sexual abuse. If your loved one has been abused in a nursing home, our Yonkers nursing home abuse attorneys can help you pursue a personal injury claim.
Based in White Plains, the Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan works hard to protect nursing home residents throughout New York. We understand how low staffing levels and high staff turnover can lead to a variety of issues, including nursing home abuse. We will fight to get you the compensation that you deserve for your injuries. Contact our law firm today to talk to a Yonkers nursing home abuse lawyer about your case.
Understanding Nursing Home Abuse
When you make the difficult decision to move a loved one into a nursing home, you are likely doing so because they need a higher level of care than they can receive at home. Nursing homes and assisted living facilities can be great places where residents can enjoy activities and the company of other older people while receiving medical care and supervision. Unfortunately, many nursing homes fall short of this standard.
Nursing home abuse is shockingly common in New York. It can take many different forms, from intentional abuse to neglect. All nursing home abuse can lead to serious injury, illness, or even death.
There are many different types of nursing home abuse. This includes:
- Physical abuse: This type of abuse occurs when a resident is intentionally harmed by a caregiver or another resident. It can include a resident being punched, kicked, shoved, choked, or even put into restraints. Physical abuse in a nursing home can cause broken bones, bruises, concussions, and other serious injuries. Residents with memory conditions, such as dementia, are at the highest risk of physical abuse.
- Emotional abuse: Verbal, psychological, or emotional abuse can take many forms. It can include everything from making threats against a resident to insulting them to yelling at them to controlling and isolating them. Nursing home emotional abuse can cause a range of mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Sexual assault: Nursing home sexual abuse occurs when a resident experiences any form of unwanted sexual conduct, from touching to sexual assault. In many cases, the resident is unable to consent to sexual activity due to cognitive issues such as Alzheimer’s disease. Residents of nursing homes are often more vulnerable to elder sexual abuse because they are dependent on the same caregivers who may be abusing them.
- Neglect: Nursing home neglect occurs when staff members fail to provide proper care to a resident. It is the most common type of nursing home abuse. While it may not always be deliberate, it can result in serious injuries and death. Examples of nursing home neglect include leaving residents unattended for long periods of time, failing to move immobile patients to avoid bedsores, malnutrition, and dehydration from not helping a resident eat or drink, and failing to report injuries and illnesses to the appropriate medical staff.
- Financial exploitation: Many residents of nursing homes are vulnerable to financial abuse by caregivers. This may include stealing a resident’s cash, credit cards, or valuables or manipulating a resident into giving them money or authority over their funds (such as by changing their power of attorney or last will and testament). Financial exploitation may not cause direct physical harm, but it can cause residents emotional issues like depression and anxiety. It may also rob a resident of the funds that they need to pay for their long-term care.
Nursing home abuse is far too common, including in facilities throughout New York. Unfortunately, signs of nursing home abuse and neglect often are not obvious, particularly in the early stages of abuse. In many cases, certain signs, like unexplained bruises or mood changes, can be attributed to issues associated with aging.
If your loved one has been harmed by nursing home staff in Yonkers or anywhere in New York, you can help them seek justice. Our law firm will investigate the allegations, build a strong case for compensation, and pursue legal action against the at-fault facility and all other responsible parties. We won’t back down from a fight and won’t stop until we get your loved one the money that they deserve for their injuries.
Nursing Home Abuse in Yonkers, New York
Located in Westchester County, Yonkers is a city of approximately 211,000 people. With nearly 17% of its population aged 65 or older, Yonkers is considered the oldest major city in New York. This means that good nursing home care is even more important in Yonkers.
According to the New York State Department of Health, there are dozens of nursing homes located in and near Yonkers. While there are a lot of options for nursing home care, the sheer number of nursing homes available does not necessarily translate to a high quality of care. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rates many nursing homes within Yonkers, such as the Yonkers Garden Center for Nursing and Rehab and the Hudson Hill Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, as one-star facilities.
A one-star rating means that the nursing home falls below average in terms of quality of care. In fact, the two nursing homes listed above have also been cited for abuse. Sadly, many of the nursing homes within a 25-mile radius of Yonkers have been cited numerous times for violations, including nursing home abuse and neglect.
One of the problems facing many nursing homes in Yonkers is low levels of staffing. According to CMS data, New York has one of the lowest rates of nursing staff hours per resident day. It ranks 45th out of all 50 states in terms of staffing levels.
When a nursing home has low staffing levels, it can lead to poor outcomes for residents. According to studies, low staffing at nursing homes is associated with:
- Increased mortality rates
- Pressure ulcers/bed sores
- Infections
- Falls
- Worsening mobility
- Reduced cognitive function
- Neglect
Understaffed nursing homes are also linked to higher levels of abuse. Broadly, when there aren’t enough employees to properly care for the residents, employees are often overworked and frustrated. This can increase staff impatience and may even lead to physical abuse, verbal abuse, or other types of abuse.
At the same time, many employees end up quitting because they are stressed out by the lack of staffing. High turnover can mean that there is a lot of inconsistency with the staffing. It also means that there isn’t a lot of experienced staff, with a higher percentage of employees untrained or unqualified for the work.
Inadequate staffing can extend to all levels of a nursing home organization. This often means that there is not enough supervision of employees. This can allow abusive behaviors to go unnoticed and unreported simply because there aren’t enough employees to know what is happening with each resident.
In Yonkers, there is both a high percentage of older people and a low number of quality nursing homes. If your loved one has suffered abuse or neglect at a nursing home in Yonkers, our law firm will fight to get them the compensation that they deserve. Reach out today to schedule a free consultation with a Yonkers nursing home abuse lawyer.
Do You Suspect Nursing Home Abuse? Contact Our Law Firm Today.
Nursing home abuse can be insidious. It often goes undetected, as nursing home residents are often less able to tell their loved ones about what is happening to them. If your family member has suffered nursing home abuse in Yonkers, we can help.
At the Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, we are dedicated to helping victims of nursing home abuse get the compensation that they deserve for their injuries. We offer free initial consultations and never charge a fee unless we recover money for you. To learn more or to set up an appointment with a Yonkers nursing home abuse attorney, give us a call at 914-220-1086 or fill out our online contact form.
