Chino Hills Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect Lawyers

A silent tragedy is unfolding throughout Southern California and the United States; tens of thousands of our most vulnerable citizens are being victimized by the very people and institutions that are trusted to care for them. Nursing home abuse and neglect has been a growing problem for years. You rely on the high quality of care that the nursing home in which your parent or elderly loved one resides, but that quality of care may be much lower than you think. If you have noticed signs of abuse or neglect, you need to take immediate action by calling the Southern California Nursing Home Law Group today to talk to a Chino Hills nursing home abuse and neglect attorney.

Signs of Abuse and Neglect

The signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect can be difficult to detect, but they are there if you really start paying attention, making notes, and gathering facts for your own evidence. Some of the signs to watch out for include the following:

• Fractured hip;
• Traumatic brain injury;
• Fractured or heavily sprained wrists;
• Other fall injuries or reports of falls;
• Bruising on the wrists or forearms;
• Facial injuries;
• Bruises, grab marks, or pinch marks to the body or arms;
• Injuries to both sides of the body;
• Injuries that your loved one cannot explain, or is clearly lying about;
• Injuries that your loved one does not want to talk about;
• Rapid weight loss or weight gain;
• Decrease in social activity;
• Fear of certain nursing home staff members;
• Wanting to stay isolated from others;
• Depression, anger, anxiety, or other emotional/mental changes;
• Rapid decline in health;
• Missing medications, resulting in illness; and
• Injuries to the groin or sex organs.

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse occurs whenever a resident is handled with excessive force. This could mean being yanked up out of bed by the arm, causing a shoulder dislocation; it could mean having a staff member force a pill down their throat when they, the resident, was being “difficult;” or it could mean a staff member simply shoving or punching a resident out of simple malice. Anytime excessive physical use is used, it constitutes physical abuse, whether the resident sustains a serious injury or not.

Emotional Abuse

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), emotional or psychological abuse consists of inflicting “anguish, mental pain, fear, or distress on an older adult.” This can be done verbally or non verbally, and may include threats, taunts, isolating, belittlement, yelling at, tricking, or otherwise psychologically abusing a resident unnecessarily.

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse is any unwanted sexual contact, including touching, groping, verbal suggestions, flashing, or sexual penetration. Often, nursing home residents are not legally capable of consenting to sexual acts, therefore any argument that a caregiver provides in terms of the act being consentual may be void.

Neglect

Neglect is a form of abuse that can be thought of as inaction, versus a direct attempt to harm the resident. Neglect includes:

• Giving the resident the wrong medication;
• Failing to help them out of bed, resulting in a fall;
• Not attending to a residents hygiene, hydration, or dietary needs;
• Leaving the resident alone for long periods of time, resulting in isolation and depression;
• Failing to tend to the resident’s medical needs, such as moving them to prevent bed sores; and
• Much more.

The Cost of Care is Rising, While the Quality of Care is Not

The price of nursing homes is rising even faster than the cost of medical care and health insurance; according to Bloomberg, a long term study found that in California, the median out-of-pocket cost for nursing home care increased by 56.7% from 2002 to 2011. This comes at a time when the Baby Boomer generation is maturing into the age range that nursing home and assisted living care is needed. Tens of millions more Americans are expected to rely on long term care within the next decade. The result will be, and currently is, lower quality of care, too few staff, and nursing homes cutting corners all around, all while residents are expected to pay exorbitant costs for high quality care.

Call Our Chino Hills Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorneys

If your loved one suffered abuse or neglect, you need to file a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. The Chino Hills Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect attorneys at the Southern California Nursing Home Law Group can help you accomplish just this. Call (866) 607-1325 today to schedule a free consultation.

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