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Witnessing or suspecting nursing home elder abuse in California can be quite stressful, especially if the victim is a friend or loved one. While both victims and their family members are aware that they should report the abuse, speaking to someone about the matter can be both humiliating and devastating.
Thankfully, a new California state law will make reporting nursing home elder abuse easier. As of January 1, 2012 California nursing home employees, residents and their family members will be able to report instances of elder abuse through a confidential internet system.
Unlike the previous method of having to call a dedicated phone line, those who are reporting abuse do not having to wait to speak with someone in order for the abuse to be reported. According to an article on the Record Gazette, in November 2010, 27% of callers hung up rather than wait on the line to report abuse, leaving the victims to continue to suffer and not receive the care and medical attention that they may need.
This new law will help not only prevent individuals from not reporting nursing home elder abuse, but it will also allow those who may be shy or embarrassed to gain confidence in using the new reporting system.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of nursing home elder abuse, contact our California Nursing Home Elder Abuse Lawyers today. We will answer any questions you may have and provide you with the legal advice that you need. Call us today at 888-444-7210 for a FREE case evaluation and quote.
The Shasta Family Justice Center (SFJC), a program dedicated to providing care for victims of California elder abuse, child abuse, domestic violence and/or sexual assault, has received a generous $5,000 donation to help run its day to day operations.
The donation was given by The California Emergency Physicians Group of America (CEPA), the Emergency Physicals at Mercy Medical Center Redding (MMCR), to commemorate the amazing achievements that victims of abuse are able to accomplish thanks to support from the Shasta Family Justice Center.
According to an article on A News Café, the center, which is composed of a dedicated group of doctors, reaches out to both youth and adults who are struggling to break the cycle of abuse. Most victims of nursing home elder abuse, domestic abuse or even sexual abuse feel comfortable coming to the SFJC to seek help and the generous donation will allow the facility to continue making a difference in the community by providing care and assistance to those in need.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of nursing home elder abuse, contact our California Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys at 888-444-7210 or fill out our FREE nursing home elder abuse case evaluation form to have a lawyer contact you directly to discuss the details of your case.
Altadena Senior Center will be hosting a "Smarter Seniors Forum" on January 28th to educate seniors and their family members on how to prevent and report elder abuse.
Friday morning from 9am to 11:15am, according to the Pasadena Star News, seniors and their family members are welcomed to attend the forum to learn about identity theft, real estate fraud, foreclosure, loan modification and other common consumer frauds. The forum is free to attend and will include refreshments and giveaways.
The "Smarter Seniors Forum" will be located at:
Altadena Senior Center
560 E Mariposa St.
Altadena, CA 91001
For more information regarding the forum, contact Inez Duarte (213) 974-7238.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of elder abuse, contact a leading California Elder Abuse Attorney for more information.
In Ventura County, a family was awarded $7.75 million for nursing home abuse that was caught on hidden video cameras. An employee is caught on tape slapping and abusing the nursing home resident who is a stroke victim. The family noticed suspicious bruises, and because the victim is unable to speak and the nursing home did not investigate the allegations, the family set up a camera. The family was awarded $2.75 million in actual damages and $5 milion in punitive damages.
Nursing home abuse is all too common and with victims who suffer from strokes, they have no voice to speak out against it. If you suspect any form of nursing home abuse, it is important that you report it and have it investigated. Our nursing home abuse attorneys can help by investigating the abuse and the nursing home. We will also work to make sure that your family member is safe and that you are compensated for injuries and suffering.
In the next 20 years, California's senior population will double according to the United States Census Bureau. Rising from 3.7 million to 6.4 million, nearly 43 percent of these seniors will reside in nursing homes. Failure to comply with state and federal standards of care, violations of health and safety standards, undertrained staff, and physical abuse are all leading causes of California nursing home abuse and given the large increase and demand over the next 2 decades it is imperative that we act now.
A number of agencies, whether they are civil or criminal work together to ensure that California nursing homes meet state and federal standards, this however may not be enough. If you or a loved one has experienced nursing home abuse or neglect then the first phone call you must make is to a qualified California nursing home abuse attorney.
A nursing home resident was strangled to death by her roommate and her son claims that the nursing home staff missed red flags. The district attorney on this case recently revealed that the victim had previously complained about her roommate making her life "a living hell." Also the night before the death, the roommate had punched a nursing assistant. The victim was found strangled and suffocated at Brandon Woods Nursing Home. This tragic case of elder abuse and neglect is still being investigated.
Nursing home abuse throughout the United States is all too common these days as many red flags are being overlooked as nursing homes are understaffed or not properly trained. Losing a loved one to California nursing home abuse is emotionally difficult for anyone. While nothing can make up for losing a loved one, you can receive compensation for the nursing home abuse or neglect to pay for any financial burdens the death may have brought. You will want to contact a California nursing home abuse law firm for further help in pursuing a case against a nursing home and holding the guilty party responsible for their abuse or neglect.
Nursing home abuse and fraud in California is a constantly growing problem. Los Angeles County is taking steps to further prevent fraud and nursing home abuse in the area. The Los Angeles County officials have made plans, which are being finalized, to hire and reassign 50 social workers and investigators who will spend time looking into fraud among those who care for elders and nursing home residents. By year's end, this strategy will need to be enforced as required by state lawmakers.
In California and most other states, nursing home abuse is a growing concern and constant problem. Elders in nursing homes are physically, mentally, sexually and emotionally abused and neglected on a daily basis. It's crucial that laws protect the nursing home residents from abuse because many are trusting in the nursing homes to continue to care for their loved ones. With stricter checks on nursing home staffs, elders can be safe and healthy in all nursing home environments.
Nurses and health care providers who have abused drugs in the past will be facing tougher standards laid out by the State of California. In order to maintain their licenses, health care professionals, after treatment, will be required to pay for regular testing. After any negative tests, a nurse will be able to go back to work, but will also be required to take 104 drug tests. However, the first failure of a drug test will immediately suspend a nurse's license. All nurses who require enhanced supervision can be publically identified.
In nursing homes, patients are trusting the staff with their health and well-being. Nurses are held to standards because they are providing a variety of important care to patients. Nurses who neglect their jobs by being on drugs may be more likely to abuse or neglect patients as a result. It's important that health care professionals are acting properly in their profession and held accountable for any negligence they exhibit.
It would be great if we could automatically tell who was a good person and who was not, but we all know it doesn’t work that way. There’s no way to tell if someone is going to be a nursing home abuser or not, but there is a list of qualities that fit many nursing home abusers. Some of them involve personality and others involve circumstances. Look through these and keep them in mind next time you visit your loved one’s nursing home. • Experiencing financial problems • Becomes easily angered or frustrated • Treats residents with disrespect • Doesn’t follow procedures • Doesn’t like to be involved with family members • Avoids any extra care if they can get away with it • Doesn’t document all events in nursing home • Asks to work at night when not many people are around • Doesn’t like to work with other people who may observe abuse If you need help combating nursing home abuse, contact a skilled California DUI attorney for assistance and advice. If you or a loved on has questions regarding a nursing home abuse matter, please contact Nursing Home Neglect Attorney Michael Young for a FREE Consultation. Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Michael Young is a featured speaker at many nursing home abuse seminars throughout California. The Nursing Home Abuse Law Offices of Young and Wallin handles cases throughout California including Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbra, Fresno, Sacramento, Orange County, Bakersfield and Ventura.
There are many signs that financial abuse is taking place in a nursing home. One is if your loved one has always used the same bank and carried out the same habits in regard to banking and all of a sudden has different banking practices. If your loved one changes their banking habits all of a sudden, it could indicate that they have been a victim of financial abuse. Another sign of financial abuse is when a nursing home resident receives enough funds to be able to pay their bills but bills are not paid and collection notices start coming in. If your loved one should be able to pay all of the bills with the funds they receive, and these bills are not paid, this may mean that their money has been stolen or is being mishandled. Excessive withdrawals from an automated banking machine may mean that your loved one’s debit or credit cards have been stolen and are being used without authorization by the employee who committed the theft. Even sudden changes to a will can indicate financial abuse. If an employee is able to access a will and have it changed, they can gain access to your love one’s assets when they pass away. If you find any of these signs of abuse, investigate them thoroughly and contact a California nursing home abuse attorney for help. If you or a loved on has questions regarding a nursing home abuse matter, please contact Nursing Home Neglect Attorney Michael Young for a FREE Consultation. Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Michael Young is a featured speaker at many nursing home abuse seminars throughout California. The Nursing Home Abuse Law Offices of Young and Wallin handles cases throughout California including Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbra, Fresno, Sacramento, Orange County, Bakersfield and Ventura.
In terms of nursing home abuse, abandonment is when a caretaker or nursing home staff member abandons the care and oversight of a resident or group of nursing home residents when a person would otherwise continue to care for the residents. One good example of nursing home abandonment would be if a natural disaster occurred and a staff member or group of staff members abandoned the residents in favor of personal safety. When nursing home residents experience abandonment, their needs are not met and serious consequences can occur. During abandonment, the following needs are not met: • Hygiene needs (showering, bathing, using the toilet) • Medication administration • Medical monitoring and examination • Social needs When these needs are not met, the quality of each resident’s life suffers and the nursing home turns from a safe haven to a nightmare. If you think this has happened to your loved one, get in touch with a San Bernardino nursing home abuse lawyer to find out what your options are for taking action. If you have questions or comments and have concerns about the care a loved on is receiving at a California nursing home facility please feel free to contact Nursing Home Neglect Attorney Michael Young for a FREE NURSING HOME ABUSE CONSULTATION on your nursing home abuse matter. The California Nursing Home Abuse Law Offices of Young and Wallin has offices throughout southern California to serve you including an elder abuse law office in Orange County, Riverside and San Bernardino County. Mr. Young handles nursing home neglect cases throughout the state of California on a case by case basis.
Dehydration can cause a number of symptoms once it has gotten severe enough to be noticeable. These symptoms can range in effect from mild to severe and can mimic other conditions. Because dehydration can become serious, it is important to identify the condition as soon as possible. Some of the symptoms of dehydration to look for include: • Low urine volume • Dark or concentrated urine • Sticky feeling in the mouth • Dry mouth • Lack of tear production • Sunken eyes and skin • Fatigue • Coma (severe) 44 Signs of Dehydration
Signs differ slightly from symptoms as signs can be noted on physical examination. Symptoms such as dry mouth, sticky mouth, and fatigue can only be felt by the patient and explained to the doctor. Signs can be seen by the doctor or noted by physical examinations and diagnostic procedures. These signs include: • Hypotension • Orthostatic hypotension • Loss of skin elasticity • Rapid heartbeat • Shock If you feel your loved one developed dehydration as a result of abuse, contact a Riverside nursing home abuse attorney for more information on what you can do to get justice. If you have questions or comments and have concerns about the care a loved on is receiving at a California nursing home facility please feel free to contact Nursing Home Neglect Attorney Michael Young for a FREE NURSING HOME ABUSE CONSULTATION on your nursing home abuse matter. The California Nursing Home Abuse Law Offices of Young and Wallin has offices throughout southern California to serve you including an elder abuse law office in Orange County, Riverside and San Bernardino County. Mr. Young handles nursing home neglect cases throughout the state of California on a case by case basis.
Nursing home employees need to be on the lookout for slips and falls by residents due many factors affecting nursing home residents. One factor is that elderly people can be injured more easily due to brittle bones and the loss of balance as their ages climb. Confused residents may get out of bed and not realize where they are or how to get back to their rooms. This creates potentially dangerous situations for residents because they may slip or fall on hazards, wet floors, or just from losing their balance and falling on the floor. Because the residents can’t control the fact that their bones are brittle and that they may get confused and get out of bed, it is up to nursing home employees to watch out for slips and falls. This means keeping a careful watch on residents, keeping rooms and hallways clear of obstacles, making sure wet floors are cleaned up immediately, and keeping the safety of all residents in mind at all times. The problem is, busy nursing home employees often don’t think of this because they are busy with the medical and emotional needs of residents. They may get busy giving out medicines, taking vital signs, and keeping good records for each resident, so preventing slips and falls often takes a back seat to what is going on in the day to day running of the nursing home. If nursing home employees and administrators would concern themselves with preventing these slips and falls, they would take place less frequently and residents would have an improved level of overall safety. If you feel your loved one’s nursing home does not have the proper steps in place to prevent slips and falls, contact a San Bernardino nursing home abuse lawyer to see what you can do to make your loved one safer. If you have questions or comments and have concerns about the care a loved on is receiving at a California nursing home facility please feel free to contact Nursing Home Neglect Attorney Michael Young for a FREE NURSING HOME ABUSE CONSULTATION on your nursing home abuse matter. The California Nursing Home Abuse Law Offices of Young and Wallin has offices throughout southern California to serve you including an elder abuse law office in Orange County, Riverside and San Bernardino County. Mr. Young handles nursing home neglect cases throughout the state of California on a case by case basis.
Some nursing home residents have difficulty communicating their needs to staff members due to medical conditions that affect their ability to speak clearly or hear adequately. New staff members who have not been trained to communicate with residents that have these problems may become frustrated when they don’t understand what a resident needs. In a facility where these staff members are unsupervised and do not have any senior employees to consult with, this frustration may mount and cause new employees to treat residents harshly or abuse them verbally. If communication training is provided, employees can be shown alternate methods for communicating with someone who has speech or hearing problems. Knowing how to communicate properly with residents will take some of the frustration out of their jobs and help new employees care for their residents as best as possible. Nursing homes can provide specific training in preventing abuse to all employees. This can include how to prevent abuse from occurring on the part of each employee and how to prevent and report abuse if it is witnessed on the part of colleagues. Teaching employees how to handle stressful situations will play a big role in helping them to learn how to reduce their frustration and anger in a positive way instead of a way that may result in nursing home abuse or neglect. Nursing homes should also instruct employees on what to do if they see a coworker abusing a resident in any way. There should be an anonymous tip line or other anonymous reporting system in place so employees do not have to fear retaliation. The nursing home should pledge to investigate each report thoroughly and determine if abuse has occurred. If you feel that a staff member abused your loved one due to a communication issue, contact a San Bernardino nursing home abuse lawyer to find out what you can do to take action. If you have questions or comments and have concerns about the care a loved on is receiving at a California nursing home facility please feel free to contact Nursing Home Neglect Attorney Michael Young for a FREE NURSING HOME ABUSE CONSULTATION on your nursing home abuse matter. The California Nursing Home Abuse Law Offices of Young and Wallin has offices throughout southern California to serve you including an elder abuse law office in Orange County, Riverside and San Bernardino County. Mr. Young handles nursing home neglect cases throughout the state of California on a case by case basis.
Nursing home employees who have a high number of residents with serious medical issues should know how to care for these residents in a medical emergency. This often means knowing specific procedures that should be used in the event of an emergency. Unfortunately, new employees may not have the experience needed to deal with these serious situations and may not know how to handle performing these medical procedures. If a lack of supervision exists, new employees may not feel that they can ask for help in learning the procedures. When this happens, any emergency becomes life-threatening since a new employee may freeze up and not be able to perform the procedure. By the time someone who is qualified to help arrives, it may be too late for intervention and the resident may suffer serious complications or even die as a result of delayed treatment. If nursing homes take it upon themselves to make sure all of their employees are properly trained in performing emergency medical procedures, they can reduce this risk of neglect. If you feel your loved one suffered serious consequences due to an untrained employee failing to perform a needed procedure, contact a San Diego nursing home abuse attorney to find out what you can do to hold the facility responsible for the consequences. The Nursing Home Neglect Law Offices of Young and Wallin provides free consultations to all those in need. If you suspect a loved one may be the victim of nursing home neglect or abuse contact Mr. Young immediately to explore your options and preserve your rights. Elder Abuse Attorney Michael Young handles cases throughout California including Fresno, Bakersfield, San Diego, as well as nursing home abuse cases in Riverside, Los Angeles, Orange County and San Bernardino. Mr. Young is also will and able to handle nursing home neglect cases in Northern California including San Francisco, San Jose and Sacramento.
When residents spend all of their time alone in their rooms, there is no opportunity for them to develop better social lives. Socialization and activities are very important in the lives of nursing home residents because they prevent isolation and they can also help prevent depression and other problems associated with a lack of participation in social activities. If you visit a nursing home where there are no planned activities and you see residents just sitting in front of a television or lining the hallways in wheelchairs, the facility is probably not a good choice for your loved one. If you visit a facility and there is a schedule of events and you see residents participating in activities with each other and nursing home employees, there is a good chance that the staff members really do care about meeting the total care needs of all of the residents. This won’t guarantee that abuse or neglect won’t occur, but it can reduce the chances. If you go to a facility and you see staff members responding to the needs of residents quickly, interacting with them, trying to provide a cheerful environment for them, and doing whatever they can to make sure residents are comfortable, you’ll be more comfortable knowing that the facility may be a better place for your loved one. While your visit can be a good test for how the facility is run before you pick a nursing home, abuse can still occur once you have placed your family member in a home. Stay involved with their care and make regular visits to check on their progress and condition. If abuse does occur, contact a San Bernardino nursing home abuse attorney for help in resolving the situation and preventing further abuse. If you have questions or comments and have concerns about the care a loved on is receiving at a California nursing home facility please feel free to contact Nursing Home Neglect Attorney Michael Young for a FREE NURSING HOME ABUSE CONSULTATION on your nursing home abuse matter. The California Nursing Home Abuse Law Offices of Young and Wallin has offices throughout southern California to serve you including an elder abuse law office in Orange County, Riverside and San Bernardino County. Mr. Young handles nursing home neglect cases throughout the state of California on a case by case basis.
Reporting abuse should be done as soon as possible to prevent it from happening again. If you feel the nursing home administrator would work on your behalf instead of protecting their own legal and monetary interests, a personal meeting with an administrator can help you to clear up any issues and make sure that the administration is aware of abusive staff members. If you fear retaliation against your loved one and want to stop the abuse in its tracks, you can report abuse to a state agency of the nursing home is a state facility. This can make administrators at a higher level aware of the problems and make sure they take action to ensure that abuse doesn’t happen again. If you don’t get anywhere using these avenues, you can talk to a Riverside nursing home abuse attorney about your options for reporting the abuse. A skilled Riverside nursing home abuse lawyer will be able to help you learn how to report the abuse and can also document your information so that it is on record in the event that you feel you need to file a claim against the nursing home. In this type of case, a qualified San Diego nursing home abuse attorney will become a trusted confidant that can help you to improve the quality of life of your loved one and hold the nursing home responsible for the actions of unsupervised staff members. The Nursing Home Neglect Law Offices of Young and Wallin provides free consultations to all those in need. If you suspect a loved one may be the victim of nursing home neglect or abuse contact Mr. Young immediately to explore your options and preserve your rights. Elder Abuse Attorney Michael Young handles cases throughout California including Fresno, Bakersfield, San Diego, as well as nursing home abuse cases in Riverside, Los Angeles, Orange County and San Bernardino. Mr. Young is also will and able to handle nursing home neglect cases in Northern California including San Francisco, San Jose and Sacramento.
If you stay involved in the care of your loved one, you’re much more likely to prevent or stop abuse than someone who has deferred all care decisions to the nursing home. If your loved one frequently has infections, speak to the doctor and find out if a medical condition is the cause of all of these infections. If you notice bruising on your loved one’s body, ask about slips or falls and check into the level of supervision and assistance provided to your loved one when getting out of bed or getting to and from the bathroom. If your loved one suffers a broken bone or fracture, ask for documentation of how the injury occurred. You have the right to speak with the person in charge of your loved one’s medical care and you also have the right to ask questions about any unexplained injuries, bruising, behavioral changes, or other signs of possible abuse. If you stay quiet and fail to stand up for your rights, you are giving abusers more opportunities to abuse your loved one and you’re giving the nursing home administrators more time to cover up any incidents. If you stay involved and stand up for your right to information about the care of your loved one, you will be more likely to prevent abuse or to stop abuse if it has started occurring. Ask questions about the qualifications and training of staff members, find out which staff members have been caring for your loved one, ask questions about any unexplained injuries, and communicate with your loved one about the level of care they are receiving. If you feel that the facility does not provide adequate answers to your questions, contacting an Orange County nursing home abuse attorney can show them that you are serious about this issue and will not stop until your questions have been answered. If you have questions or comments and have concerns about the care a loved on is receiving at a California nursing home facility please feel free to contact Nursing Home Neglect Attorney Michael Young for a FREE NURSING HOME ABUSE CONSULTATION on your nursing home abuse matter. The California Nursing Home Abuse Law Offices of Young and Wallin has offices throughout southern California to serve you including an elder abuse law office in Orange County, Riverside and San Bernardino County. Mr. Young handles nursing home neglect cases throughout the state of California on a case by case basis.
Abusers often select their victims based on how many visitors they receive and how often these visitors show up at the facility. If a resident regularly receives visitors, an abuser is much less likely to abuse them because they know that the resident will have family members and friends who may notice signs of abuse. An abuser is much more likely to select a lonely resident who never gets any visitors as a victim because there will be no one to detect the signs of abuse and report them to nursing home administrators. If an abuser knows that your loved one always gets visitors on Sunday afternoons or Saturday mornings, he or she will be there when you arrive with a happy smile for everyone. They’ll also be sure to neglect or abuse your loved one on a Wednesday afternoon so signs of abuse may be hidden by the time you visit on the weekend. If you vary your visiting hours, abusers will never know when you might show up and that might prevent them from selecting your loved one as a victim. If you have other family members who visit your loved one, try to come up with a visitation schedule that results in several visits to the facility per week to further prevent any abuse. An experienced San Bernardino nursing home abuse attorney can tell you more about how varying your visiting hours can prevent abuse from occurring. If you have questions or comments and have concerns about the care a loved on is receiving at a California nursing home facility please feel free to contact Nursing Home Neglect Attorney Michael Young for a FREE NURSING HOME ABUSE CONSULTATION on your nursing home abuse matter. The California Nursing Home Abuse Law Offices of Young and Wallin has offices throughout southern California to serve you including an elder abuse law office in Orange County, Riverside and San Bernardino County. Mr. Young handles nursing home neglect cases throughout the state of California on a case by case basis.
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