It’s an ironic truth that the people to whom we entrust the care of our loved ones are actually the ones who will harm them. This should never happen, but the news media are often peppered with continuous reports in California of abuse in skilled nursing homes and residential care facilities for the disabled and the elderly.
Nursing Home Abuse
Many people are aware that while they possess affection and compassion for our disabled and elderly loved ones, they don’t have the necessary skills that will provide them with the best care and quality of life. That’s why you may have entrusted your elderly loved ones to nursing homes.
But sometimes, caregivers in these facilities may be guilty of neglecting their charges. Some are downright cruel and abusive. If you’re a friend or a relative of an ill-treated person living in an assisted living facility or nursing home for the elderly, you have to realize the importance of responding properly through legal channels.
At Ozols Law Firm, we have nursing home abuse lawyers who are experienced in dealing with care facilities that allow injuries and abuse to happen due to negligence and cruelty.
Injuries to Watch for
Here signs you should be on the lookout for so you can detect negligence or abuse as quickly as possible:
- Dehydration
- Malnutrition
- Overmedication
- Missed medications
- Bedsores
- Bruises
- Broken bones
- Infections
- Late responses to medical emergencies
- Death
The caretakers in nursing home facilities may not be watching over their charges properly. As a result, they’re not drinking, eating, and taking their medications. The residents may suffer from repeated falls, or wander off the premises. These accidents may result in physical injuries. In some cases, the injuries may be inflicted by the caretakers themselves.
Why Does This Happen in San Diego?
It all boils down to money. Licensed skilled nursing homes are required by law to operate on a fixed-fee basis. They can’t charge fees for different services. These fixed fees won’t easily earn the nursing home any money, unless they cut down on operating costs.
This usually means they cut down on staffing. They may not hire enough skilled nurses and staffers for their residents, and the people they do have may be under-qualified or improperly supervised.
Healthcare is a business in California, and these skilled nursing homes and assisted living facilities can’t stay open without cutting corners. That’s why staffing problems continue, and why negligence and abuse persist to this day.
Seek Legal Assistance Now
If your elderly or disabled loved is suffering from injuries while in a nursing home, we can help. Our law firm specializes in these cases and we offer free consultation to discuss and evaluate your case. Our nursing home abuse attorneys have experience, knowledge, and means to investigate injuries to determine if negligence or abuse is the reason for your loved one’s injuries or deteriorating health. If these cases go too far, you may need to hire a San Diego wrongful death lawyer to help out with the case.
A civil suit can then be lodged against the nursing home, so that your family can be compensated e. This is a complicated case which will require the transfer of your loved one as the civil suit continues.
Cases like these aren’t just about compensation. It’s about seeking justice, accountability, and making sure that future abuse is prevented. Call our office today to know all the legal remedies available to you.