Long Beach Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Legal Recourse Against Nursing Home Abuse

If your aging parent or relative requires continuous, professional care because of issues related to their age, illness or disability, you may have to turn to nursing care services for help. Nursing home facilities are intended to provide long-term, nursing care to the elderly. Unfortunately, elderly nursing home patients are particularly vulnerable and can be victimized by the very people who are supposed to be helping them. Any type of harmful or negligent treatment elderly patients sustain can have an adverse effect on their mental and physical health and can lead to death in some cases.

If you suspect that your loved one has been a victim of any form of nursing home abuse or neglect, it may be necessary for you to consult an experienced elder law attorney. At The Law Offices of Sandra Diaz PC, we specialize in addressing the legal issues that affect senior citizens. You can count on us to be an advocate for your family in any nursing home abuse or neglect civil action case in California. We are Southern California’s leading elder law firm and will work to aggressively protect the rights of nursing home patients and obtain any compensation that you or your loved one may be entitled to by law.

California Law and Nursing Homes

In the state of California, nursing home residents are entitled to certain standards of patient care. State law Title 22 establishes the licensing requirements for nursing homes by providing strict guidelines for staffing, activity programs, dietary needs, medical care and more. If a nursing home accepts federal funds, such as Medi-Cal, its services must also be in compliance with federal guidelines.

Legal remedy against nursing home abuse or neglect in California can be sought under the Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act, or EADACPA. This act allows for the pursuance of punitive damages and lawyer fees for cases in which nursing home abuse is being alleged.

How to Recognize Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

Nursing homes can be negligent if they fail to provide their patients with the services or level of service needed for them to be safe and healthy. Nursing home abuse, which can include intentional or unintentional negligence, can be emotional, physical, or financial in nature. All these forms of abuse can happen to patients who do not have the capacity to defend themselves.

Emotional abuse can include using humiliation and psychological intimidation to incite fear. Physical abuse often results in some form of injury, impairment or pain to the patient. Financial abuse can occur when nursing home employees use some form of deception to financially benefit themselves.

The various types of nursing home abuse or neglect can take on many forms. Some common signs that an elderly person is being mistreated at a nursing home can include:

  • Frequent complaints from the patient concerning care
  • Insufficient record keeping
  • Drastic change in patient behavior
  • Personal items that are unaccounted for
  • Dehydration
  • Refusal to participate in nursing home activities
  • Bedsores
  • Unusual bruising
  • Unexplained mood changes

The reasons why nursing home abuse or neglect occurs can vary widely. Contributing factors can include unqualified employees, insufficient staffing numbers and the reluctance or inability of patients to report their abuse. Regardless of the reason it occurs, a nursing home may be held liable for any acts of abuse or neglect committed in its facility.

Contact the Long Beach Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Of The Law Offices of Sandra Diaz PC
At The Law Offices of Sandra Diaz PC, we want to help you seek justice against any nursing home employee who has been abusing your loved one. Employing the services of experienced elder law attorney Sandra Diaz can be critical to not only receiving justice, but also receiving the monetary compensation your family deserves. It can also serve as a deterrent to other individuals who may be inclined to abuse an elderly patient under their care.

It is important to get assistance as soon as you suspect your aging relative is being abused or neglected in a nursing home. Contact us for more information about how our law firm can help protect the rights of you and your elderly loved one. We will be happy to schedule an appointment for a free consultation. Contact Long Beach Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers by calling 562-210-5790 or toll free 877-377-7411