How Can You Report A Concern About A Pennsylvania Nursing Home?

How can you report a concern you have about the quality of care being provided in a Pennsylvania nursing home? Here are some ideas that are provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The important thing is to remember not to let a concern go unreported!

Talk to your Nursing Home Administrator and/or Director of Nursing. He or she is licensed and responsible for the operation of the facility. The facility is required to have a system in place to address your concerns and develop a plan to lead to a reasonable and acceptable solution.

Call your local Area Agency on Aging. The phone number is in the blue pages of the phone book. A trained professional will either help resolve the issue or contact the proper authority, if necessary.

The Department of Health is here to assist you. Assuring quality of care and safety for nursing home residents is our responsibility. A toll-free hotline is available. The toll free number is 800-254-5164. Callers to the hotline will have the option to leave their complaint in a voicemail. Messages should include the name of the facility, the specific issue related to care and services provided to residents/patients, and any details required for a thorough investigation to be completed. Callers may leave their name and telephone number for trained staff to return the call to discuss the concerns. Identity will not be released to the facility by leaving contact information for a return call. You may email a complaint to [email protected] or use the online complaint form. For complaints regarding a Personal Care Home or Assisted Living Facility, call 877-401-8835.

Complaints may be lodged with the Division of Nursing Care Facilities in a variety of ways. The Complaint Hotline is located in Harrisburg at our Central Office, where complaints are taken and forwarded to the appropriate field office for investigation.

Complaints are received in the division by telephone, mail, fax and email. We also receive referrals of complaints from other agencies associated with nursing homes.

After a complaint is received, division staff will conduct an investigation. When completed, the results of this investigation will be shared with the person who filed the complaint. All on-site complaint surveys are unannounced.

When your loved one is in need of a Pennsylvania nursing home, you need to do your homework. You can see citations the home you are considering has received in the past, on the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s website. You can find a link to the site on Schmidt Kramer’s website.

If you believe that you or a loved one have been injured by sub-standard care at a Central Pa nursing home, call a Pennsylvania nursing home lawyer at Schmidt Kramer. Call us at (717) 888-8888 if you are local to Harrisburg, or call us toll-free at 1-800-232-6301.

You may also want to download one of the free publications or our newsletter we offer on our website.

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