Nursing Home – Elder Abuse

Elder Abuse and Nursing Home Assault Lawyers

Experienced Attorneys Fight Elder Abuse Within San Diego Nursing Homes

The decision to put an elderly family member in a nursing home is rarely easy. Families must trust that the facility will provide what they cannot — medical care, round-the-clock nursing and a safe environment. When this trust is violated and elders are harmed, justice is warranted.

California’s stringent elder abuse laws are designed to protect the most vulnerable members of our society. Part of providing a secure environment is taking appropriate measures to hire and maintain high-quality staff members. If nursing homes are not conducting background checks and regularly training their employees, they may be in breach of the legal duties owed to residents and their families. Without these precautions in place, abusers and sex offenders can find employment to access elderly victims. Failure to follow the law may place residents at a substantial risk of:

• Physical Assault or Handling: A nursing home staff member may purposely commit assault by striking a resident. Rough handling is another form of assault, where caregivers handle fragile residents with an inappropriate amount of force. These injuries often produce visible injuries, such as bruising or burn scars.
• Rape or Sexual Abuse: Nursing home residents are also vulnerable to sexual assault, particularly those who are unable to protect themselves from unwanted advances. These harmful acts may include unwanted touching, groping, sexual intercourse and/or rape. Genital injuries, visible bruising and sexually transmitted diseases are common symptoms of elderly sexual abuse.
• Verbal and Psychological Abuse: Elderly residents are also forced to deal with verbal and psychological abuse. Though this type of abuse does not leave physical scars, our San Diego nursing home abuse lawyers know that it can be just as damaging to a victim’s mental and emotional health. That’s why we treat these claims with the same level of commitment as a physical abuse injury.
• Intentional Neglect: Staff members may intentionally neglect a resident if the person’s medical condition requires more extensive care or if the resident does not perform in the manner desired by staff. This type of abuse may lead to malnutrition, bedsores or dehydration. Neglected patients are also more likely to fall or to wander off because the staff is not paying attention.
• Punishment, Excessive Restraint or Overmedication: In an attempt to keep residents quiet and unresponsive, staff members may overly medicate them with sleep inducing substances or use an inappropriate level of physical restraint to keep them within their beds or wheelchairs. This is a form of abuse and nursing homes should be held responsible for allowing it to occur.

At Coast Law Group, we conduct our own detailed investigations and often reveal tax hiring practices. We hold nursing homes accountable for:

• Insufficient staffing to provide proper care
• Inadequate security measures
• Retaliation by staff after complaints are made
• Staff’s failure to respond to justified complaints by patients and family members in a timely manner
• Management’s failure alert authorities or discipline employees once suspicions of abuse have been raised

How to Spot Signs of Physical Elder Abuse or Neglect

• Development or worsening of pressure ulcers and bedsores
• Excessive weight loss
• Injuries from falls (link to slip and fall)
• Unusual or recurring scratches, bruises, skin tears or welts
• Bilateral bruising (bruises on opposite sides of the body)
• “Wrap around” bruises that encircle an entire limb
• Torn, stained, or bloodied underclothing
• Signs of excessive drugging
• Foul smelling, uncombed, or matted hair
• Injuries that are incompatible with explanations
• Injuries caused by biting, pinching, or twisting of limbs

We aggressively pursue justice for elderly clients subjected to abuse at nursing homes or assisted care living centers. Our committed San Diego nursing home abuse attorneys take these shameful actions seriously and work to ensure that the facility owners pay for their negligence.

When you suspect elder abuse is occurring, it’s critical for you to have experienced attorneys on your side.  Get a hold of us today at 760-942-8505 to get the process started.

Experienced Representation is Essential

We know that your elderly loved one may not want to come forward regarding the mistreatment and abuse they have suffered. They also may not have the ability to verbalize that abuse. In some cases they could be afraid of retaliation or fearful of received threats against them. Our compassionate team handles these cases with the highest level of consideration and confidentiality.