Los Angeles Assisted Living Neglect and Abuse Lawyers

Placing a loved one in an assisted living facility is a difficult, and costly decision to make. Shopping around for a safe, caring home is taxing enough, and once your loved one is in the home you should not have to worry in the slightest. Unfortunately, assisted living facilities in the U.S., and larger cities like Los Angeles specifically, have a track record of paying their employees low wages and working them long hours. This makes for an environment that often isn’t the safest, or most attentive for its residents. Attorneys who work with assisted living personal injury cases see this time and time again. Elderly folks that are placed in an assisted living setting are there because they likely are already facing some physical health issues or ailments, and assisted living neglect and abuse, on top of this, can put them in serious danger.

Assisted living communities and nursing homes, though similar in many ways, have several key differences that are important to note. Both housing communities are designed with a focus on keeping their residents healthy and safe, while providing support with daily activities such as personal care, dressing, bathing, administering medication, etc., as well as providing meals to their residents. Some key differences between the two communities mainly revolve around medical care. Nursing homes provide personal care along with skilled nursing (with some limited medical treatments) in an environment that resembles a clinical setting. Assisted living communities on the other hand, primarily provide personal care in more of a “home-like” social setting. Assisted living communities do administer and manage medication for patients, yet they do not provide any sort of skilled nursing or medical care. Assisted living neglect and abuse can take many forms, some examples of this are:

• Delaying medical care which results in injury or illness
• Emotional abuse
• Physical assault
• Sexual assault
• Unsanitary conditions that could cause illness or injury
• Failure to provide necessary nutrition or medication, or general basic needs

These issues can arise for several reasons, most stem from the understaffed and overworked nature of assisted living facilities in our nation, and large cities like Los Angeles specifically. Yet there are some specific issues that could have grave consequences. Some examples of these are:

• Improper/inadequate training of staff members
• Staff members hired that may be unsafe (no background check run)
• Failure to refer patient for medical care in a timely manner
• Understaffing
• Failure to provide enough security or supervision of staff
• Failure to report abuse

If injuries or death are a result of assisted living neglect and abuse, California law allows one to seek financial compensation for injuries sustained or other losses related to the negligence. A Los Angeles assisted living neglect lawyer can help start this process. In cases like these, there are often many medical bills and expenses incurred as a result of the injuries or illness. Though money cannot necessarily fix all the wrong doings of an assisted living facility, lawyers can help with a case to cover expenses incurred as well as hold the home accountable for the suffering experienced.

Aside from medical bills, there are non-economic damages that lawyers and Los Angeles/California courts deem worthy of compensation. Some examples of these include physical pain and suffering, emotional distress (fear, grief, anxiety, sleeplessness and depression), lost enjoyment of life, or permanent cognitive or physical impairments caused by injuries. Another non-economic damage that can be considered in these cases is punitive damages (if the assisted living facility or it’s employees acted with malice) which punish a facility in the hope that it will deter them from further abuse or neglect.

Have you suspected that a loved one has been the victim of assisted living abuse or neglect in Los Angeles? If so, call the office or contact us today at the Southern California Nursing Home Law Group to schedule a free case evaluation with one of our experienced Los Angeles assisted living neglect lawyers now.