Many families often have little choice other than to place loved ones in the hands of nursing homes and care centers across the country.  Residents, young and old, are expected to receive proper care and have their special needs met without fear of neglect.

In the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse case, there is something to be learned about what Penn State officials knew and did not know about the actions of one of its most highly regarded employees. It certainly serves as a message to those in charge of managing the care and well being of those in care center homes and facilities and the consequences of their action or lack of action.

Despite who is in charge of a care center, neglect of those who are most vulnerable occurs all too often by those providing day-to-day care. It’s unfortunate that several cases of nursing home abuse have also made headlines this year. In April, a 53-year-old male nursing home worker in Florida was arrested and charged with holding a pillow over an 81-year-old female resident as she screamed for help. That same month, two female nursing home workers in Oklahoma were arrested for abusing a 96-year old resident. In that case, the workers were slapping the resident in the face with gloves and shoving the gloves into the resident’s mouth. The charges came after the resident’s family placed a hidden video camera in the resident’s room.

“Imagine paying a lot of money to have a nursing home take care of an elderly loved one, only to find out that loved one is being intentionally harmed there,” says attorney Martin Sweet of legal information websiteTHELAW.TV. “That would take a huge emotional toll on not only the senior involved, but his or her family as well.”

Perhaps the most common form nursing home abuse is physical abuse, which is what appears to have occurred in the aforementioned cases. But there are other forms, including:

• Negligence – This occurs when a nursing home fails to provide adequate care for a resident. Negligence can include failure to administer the proper medications, to report injuries or to treat injuries.
• Sexual abuse – Although it’s a rare form of nursing home abuse, but there have been cases of nursing home workers making unwanted sexual advances toward residents. Also, a nursing home could be held liable if a resident sexually abuses another resident.
• Wrongful death – In extreme cases, an injury suffered by a resident could result in death. If the injury could have been prevented, the nursing home could be held liable.

“Any care center including nursing homes should be held legally accountable in any of these abuse scenarios,” adds Reno, Nevada medical malpractice attorneyMatt Sharp of The Law Offices of Matthew L. Sharp.

If there is any sign or suspicion that someone in a care center or nursing home has been abused, you should contact a lawyer who specializes in these types of cases. Officials and management of these facilities are also accountable for those placed in their care.