Nursing Home Investigations Raise Awareness of Elder Abuse
Two local nursing homes are now under the microscope of law enforcement.
But, the Attorney General's office is still releasing little details about their probe into an east Erie elderly care facility.
We still don't know just why special agents spent the day collecting evidence at an Erie nursing home Tuesday.
But with 2 nursing homes now under investigation, it's raising some concern.
At Saint Mary's Home of Erie East on Tuesday, agents with the state Attorney General's Special Investigations unit collected mounds of files, in dozens of boxes.
They also carried in and out, dozens of computers and hard drives from the nursing home, in the 600 block of east 26th street.
The AG's office was serving a sealed search warrant, and won't say what initiated the investigation, or what it's all about.
It comes two months after the AG's office filed a lawsuit against Golden LivingCenters across the Commonwealth, which includes the Golden Living Western Reserve Facility, on west 54th street, in Millcreek.
That suit involves charges of abuse and neglect, claiming the facilities failed to provide basic services to elderly and vulnerable patients.
Assistant Erie County District Attorney Michael Burns, heads up the DA's elder abuse unit.
They investigate claims of fraud and abuse across the county.
He says there are different forms of elder abuse; physical, financial, sexual or neglect, and should you suspect any of them, report it right away, "There are different types of abuse and they are perpetrated by many different types of people who are often times in a position of trust with a victim, and so that's when they can be most readily taken advantage of," said Burns.
If you suspect elder abuse you should contact GECAC. GECAC is the area agency on aging that investigates all allegations of abuse and neglect, then forwards them on to police if warranted.
You can also contact your local police, the DA's Elder Abuse Unit, or the AG's office, "The elderly are certainly one of the more vulnerable groups no question about that, that's why these agencies are in place," said Burns."So if you suspect any type of abuse you should not hesitate to contact any of these agencies and report it," Burns added.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, some common signs and/or symptoms of abuse may include:
- Bruises or broken bones
- Weight loss
- Confusion blamed on “old age” when the real cause may be malnutrition, medications or an acute illness
- The older person never goes outside or sees visitors
- Withdrawing large sums of money from a savings account without apparent reason
- Signing over his or her home to a relative