California Nursing Home Abuse
In the state of California, nursing home abuse is described as a calculated or deliberate act that causes harm or creates a severe possibility of harm (even if the harm was unintentional) to a vulnerable adult by a caregiver or an individual who is in the position of a trusting relationship with the resident.
In addition, nursing home abuse may not only be delivered through an action, neglect can also be a form of nursing home abuse.
Countless elders are abused in their homes, in skilled nursing facilities (SNF) or in residential care facilities for the elderly (RCFE). As elders mature and thus become more physically fragile, and cognitively impaired they’re less able to defend themselves against abuse or bullying.
They lack the ability to fight back if and when attacked. Millions of cases of nursing home abuse are reported every year in America. This is not accounting for the half a million nursing home abuse cases that allegedly go unreported.
Nursing Home Abuse Statistics
Reports show that roughly 2.5 million elders live in approximately 17,000 Skilled Nursing Facilities. Findings showed 1.6 million of these elders to be at higher risk of abuse and neglect than elders who live at home.
A study done in the year 2000 by the National Center on Elder Abuse found that in a case sample of 2,000 nursing homes over 44 percent of the eldercare assignees had been abused and 95 percent had been neglected.
Further studies revealed that approximately 90 percent of these abusers were family members. Most often these are adult children or spouses that feel burdened by their caregiving obligations.
The National Center on Elder Abuse, as of 2005 estimated that between one and two million Americans 65 or older have been abused or neglected by a caregiver.
These estimates showed that only one in fourteen cases were reported to the authorities and only one in twenty-five cases of financial abuse gets reported.
Additionally, of these nursing home abuse cases, it is estimated that approximately 50% of them include neglect, 16% are physical abuse, and 12% involve financial abuse.
Elder Aging Process
Aging is a progressive and subtle process. The gradual development of old age can be microscopic not only to the person to which they are happening but also to the public eye.
For example, a young adult may run the occasional errand for his or her parents, a minute task that fits with one’s own errands and can go essentially overlooked.
But, as the parents continue to age, they may require significant help with the activities of daily living such as going outside the home, preparing meals, taking medications per prescription order, paying bills, bathing, grooming, eating and so forth.
So, what began as an infrequent errand may develop into an arduous obligation that seems to demand most of one’s time. Thus, the caretaker may find that the obligations are a burden and emotions may boil over or care may become superficial.
What is Elder Abuse
Elder abuse is described as any form of ill-treatment that introduces harm or loss inflicted on an older person (65 plus). Although it is difficult to attain a definite depiction of how widely spread elderly abuse is in California, it is a sad fact that society tends to discount the value of the elderly.
Elder abuse can and may take many different forms, some including intimidation, threats, neglect and even financial cheating.
Types of Elder Abuse in a Nursing Home
Physical abuse
Is the infliction of physical pain or harm, sexual assault or molestation. Physical abuse includes any conduct that is violent towards an elderly person. This can also encompass the inappropriate use of physical or chemical restraints without an acceptable doctor’s order.
Neglect
Is the failure of a caretaker to perform his or her obligations; for example; assisting with personal hygiene, providing food or clothes or any service that one may deem essential for another.
Financial Abuse
Is the unauthorized profiteering and/or use of an elder’s revenue, property or assets.
Investigating Complaints from Family Members of Residents Residing in
Investigating Complaints from Family Members of Residents Residing in
College Vista Convalescent Hospital
Nursing Home
Address: 4681 N Eagle Rock Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90041, United States
Waterman Nursing Center
Rating 3.4 out of 5 6 Google reviews
Nursing Home
Address: 1850 N Waterman Ave, San Bernardino, CA 92404, United States
Sunray Healthcare Center
Assisted Living Facility
Address: 3210 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019, United States
Phone:+1 323-734-2171
Los Angeles Jewish Home-Aging
Hospice · Encino Website
Address: 6345 Balboa Blvd #315, Encino, CA 91316, United States
Phone:+1 818-774-3000
Brookdale Carlsbad
4.717 Google reviews
Assisted Living Facility
Address: 3140 El Camino Real, Carlsbad, CA 92008, United States
Phone:+1 760-841-1715
Hours:
Open today · Open 24 hours
Anaheim Terrace Care Center
Nursing Home
Address: 141 S Knott Ave, Anaheim, CA 92804, United States
Phone:+1 714-821-7310
Capitol Gardens
| Assisted Living Facility | |
| Address: 3014 Capitol Ave, Sacramento, CA 95816, United States
Phone:+1 916-457-1771 |
Centinela Skilled Nursing & Wellness Centre West
Nursing Home
Address: 950 S Flower St, Inglewood, CA 90301, United States
Phone:+1 310-674-3216
Hours:
Open today · 9AM–5PM
South Pasadena Convalescent Hospital
Hospital
Address: 904 Mission St, South Pasadena, CA 91030, United States
Phone:+1 626-799-9571
Alta Vista Healthcare & Wellness Centre
Nursing Home
Address: 9020 Garfield St, Riverside, CA 92503, United States
Phone:+1 951-688-8200
Verdugo Valley Skilled Nursing
Home Health Care Service · Montrose
Address: 2635 Honolulu Ave, Montrose, CA 91020, United States
Phone:+1 818-248-6856
If your facility or the Skill Nursing Home is not listed here but you suspect Nursing Home Abuse has taken place with you or your loved one contact us for a Free Case Evaluation
Nursing Home Abuse
California is a state known to enforce firm provisions for residential care facilities for the elderly and skilled nursing facilities. A state that shelters 100,000 elders in nursing homes. With that being said, there is still a disturbing number of abuse cases reported in California.
Reports indicated that the elderly who live in a Skilled Nursing Facility are at a greater risk for abuse and neglect. These elders were particularly vulnerable as most endure and suffer from several chronic illnesses and clinical diseases that lead to restrictions in physical and cognitive functioning and are therefore reliant on others.
The National Center on Elder Abuse declared that up to half of the nursing homes in America were to be understaffed. Understaffing increases the difficulty of these nursing homes in meeting the demands of their elderly residents.
Although wrong and unacceptable, overworked employees and understaffed nursing homes can lead to abuse and neglect.
7 Types of Abuse in Nursing Homes
- Physical Abuse
- Sexual Abuse
- Emotional or Psychological Abuse
- Neglect
- Abandonment
- Financial or Material Exploitation
- Self-neglect
Examples of Nursing Home Abuse
- not providing oral hygiene
- ensuring fall prevention
- failing to change residents after each episode of incontinence;
- ignoring residents who are bedfast, mainly not including them in activities
- failing to complete prescribed wound care; thus leading to ulcers and bedsores
- failing to provide residents with scheduled baths;
- not providing cueing or task segmentation to residents who have Dementia or Alzheimer’s
- not keeping residents hydrated; and
- Refusing to acknowledge or grant residents’ request
It is unjust for an elderly resident to endure such poor quality of care when these nursing homes do not live up to the level of service they promised to provide.
The levels of poor care rendered in nursing homes are resulting in a loss of dignity, self-respect and quality of life for our elderly.
Before entering a nursing home, loved ones were proud individuals who paved the way for you and me and thus deserve respect and appropriate care when they are unable to care for themselves.
Elder abuse and neglect threaten the health and well-being of elder care residents. Such behavior is illegal and inequitable in the state of California.
If you or a loved one have suffered any form of nursing home abuse or neglect, be it in a nursing home or residential care facility, you do not need to go unheard, contact our investigating lawyers now.