Elder abuse under-investigated

While reports of nursing home abuse make the headlines every once and awhile, it appears as if a majority of these types of cases are simply not investigated by the proper officials.

In California, for example, a new report found that the Department of Public Health failed to look into thousands of accusations of abuse by nursing assistants.

During a recent rally for better care, nursing home advocate Wes Bledsoe said that there needs to be a better sense of urgency to protect the elderly against residential care abuse. He said too often, officials are more worried about protecting the operators rather than the occupants.

One of the biggest obstacles to better nursing home care across the country has been a lack of transparency that has allowed companies to hide their corporate structures from victims of nursing home abuse. And often, when an injured party files a lawsuit, they are only able to go after a smaller division of a larger healthcare conglomerate.

However, there are provisions in the Affordable Care Act that seek to unveil nursing home corporate structures and allow victims to seek compensation directly from the top.

People considering filing a lawsuit against those responsible for nursing home abuse should contact a qualified elder care lawyer for advice on how to proceed.