Pittsburgh Home Health Care Injury Lawyer

Home Health Care Injury Attorney in Pittsburgh, PA

At Ainsman Levine, LLC, we provide comprehensive and effective legal representation to older adults and their families. By personalizing our legal advice and strategies to your unique situation, we can guide you through the process of holding home health care providers accountable for their careless actions and pursuing compensation for your loved one’s injuries. Since 1993, we’ve represented Western and Central Pennsylvania accident victims and their families. Let us help you protect the legal rights of your loved one. Contact our office today and request a free consultation to learn more.

What Are Home Health Care Services?

Home health care is medical care provided to a patient in their own home. These services can be a lifesaver for older adults and their family members, allowing cherished loved ones to remain comfortable in their homes while giving them access to physical and mental medical assistance. Often, these services give older family members a sense of independence, allowing them to avoid living in a nursing home or long-term care facility while giving them access to medical services, therapy, and supervision.

Older individuals who have suffered a serious illness or injury like a heart attack, stroke, broken bone, or cancer may also benefit from home health care services to help them get healthy and back on their feet again. Some providers even offer services for individuals suffering from cognitive decline like Alzheimer’s or dementia, which may put them at risk of injuring themselves. Not only do these services benefit older individuals physically, but they can also help them mentally and emotionally, holding off loneliness and giving them someone to talk to and interact with.

Issues Involving Home Health Aides and Services

Home health caregivers should provide adequate supervision and support to the older individuals they serve. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen, and these aides and caregivers may provide substandard medical care, assistance, or supervision, risking the health and safety of the people they care for. Older individuals, especially those with physical or cognitive impairments, are vulnerable to abuse and neglect by caregivers. Some of the most common incidents that can happen due to home health aide abuse or neglect include:

• Falls due to lack of assistance
• Slipping in the shower due to inadequate supervision or lack of assistive devices (not putting a shower chair in its proper place)
• Bedsores from not moving immobilized or physically impaired patients
• Failing to treat medical needs
• Failing to help with basic hygiene
• Failing to administer required medications
• Failing to treat medical conditions or wounds
• Failing to seek help for medical emergencies
• Medical or van transport accidents
• Medical or van transport lift injuries

Injuries that can result from these situations can include:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Broken bones
• Open sores and wounds
• Choking
• Soft tissue injuries
• Lacerations
• Abrasions
• Contusions

Some individuals, afraid they will need to leave their home for a nursing home or long-term care facility, do not report issues of abuse or neglect. Instead, they keep family members in the dark about home health worker issues. It may be up to you to advocate for the best interests of your loved one. If you notice unusual injuries, a family member becomes withdrawn, or you have concerns about their health and safety, talk to a skilled attorney immediately.

Pennsylvania Home Care Agency Regulations

Before an agency can provide home health care services, they must obtain a license and adhere to all Pennsylvania home care agency regulations. Home health care agencies and home care registries must:

• Pass a competency examination developed by the HCA/HCR
• Complete at least one of the following programs: a nurse aide certification, home health aide training program, training program meeting HCA/HCR standards, or a program approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Health
• Ensure all direct care workers comply with competency requirements
• Maintain documentation showing all staff have undergone a criminal background check
• Review direct care worker competency annually

The Commonwealth requires all home health aides to undergo formal training and certification as outlined by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. These programs provide classroom and supervised practical training. Home health aides or HHAs are medical assistants who support older adults and those recovering from significant injuries or illnesses in a residential setting like the person’s private home.

These medical assistants must demonstrate numerous medical and caregiving skills and undergo professional training. However, they do not need to be registered nurses, such as certified nursing assistants or licensed practical nurses who must pass more rigorous medical training.

Common Causes of Home Health Cases of Abuse and Neglect

Home health aides are responsible for caring for vulnerable individuals who need extra love and care in their homes. Unfortunately, not all HHAs are up to caring for individuals with unique medical and cognitive needs. Some of the most common causes of injuries in the home health care sector include:

• Poor training or lack of experience
• Failure of home health care agency to perform a background check
• Failure of a HHA to maintain their license
• Understaffing
• Caregiver burnout
• Negligence

Substandard care can lead to significant injuries for older adults.

How Can a Pennsylvania Attorney Help?

At Ainsman Levine, LLC, our compassionate personal injury attorneys want to advocate for you and protect your loved one’s legal rights. We start by listening to your concerns and thoroughly investigating the cause of your loved one’s injuries. Next, we use our extensive legal knowledge and local resources to pursue maximum compensation for their injuries and losses. We aim to hold home health care agencies and their caregivers accountable for their actions and help your loved one get back on the right track.

Our priority is your family’s health and safety. We are proud of our long track record of delivering results and believe our clients’ success stories speak for themselves.

Resources for Pennsylvania Families

Watching a family member struggle or suffer can be painful. However, many people don’t know where to start when looking for help. In addition to contacting an attorney to help your loved one as soon as possible, there are also other resources that can help you and your family.

• Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
• Pennsylvania Adult Protective Services
• Pennsylvania Department of Aging Resources
• LIFE (Living Independence for the Elderly)

Contact a Pennsylvania Attorney Today for Help

Older adults using home health care deserve to be safe from harm or mistreatment. If you suspect abuse or neglect on the part of a home health care agency or home health aide, it is time to get your family member the help they need. The legal team at Ainsman Levine, LLC, offers you and your family comprehensive legal advice and moral support during this challenging time. Contact our office and request a free consultation to review your legal options for pursuing compensation for your loved one’s injuries.