Northern California Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys
Discovering a loved one has suffered neglect or abuse in a nursing home is devastating. Families rely on nursing homes to care for aging loved ones with respect and dignity, and without neglect, abuse, and exploitation. When caregivers and care facilities fail to take the steps to properly care for loved ones, or when elderly people are intentionally abused or neglected, the Northern California nursing home abuse lawyers at Estey Bomberger hold responsible parties accountable for their actions.
Types of Nursing Abuse and Neglect
Nursing home abuse and neglect can take many forms, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and financial abuse, and neglect and abandonment. When abuse or neglect occurs, caregivers and care facilities may be held liable in a civil claim for injuries or wrongful deaths due to:
Neglect: Failure to provide basic needs such as food, medication, health care, shelter or protection. Negligent supervision leading to slip and fall accidents at nursing homes or hospitals can also constitute neglect.
Abandonment: Deserting a vulnerable elderly adult after assuming the responsibility for care of that person.
Emotional Abuse: Inflicting anxiety, distress, or mental pain on an elderly person through verbal or nonverbal acts.
Physical Abuse: Inflicting physical pain or threatening to inflict physical pain or assault on a vulnerable elderly adult, or intentionally depriving them of a basic need. Physical abuse can also include overmedication and under medication.
Sexual Abuse: Any non-consensual sexual contact.
Exploitation /Financial Abuse: Illegally taking or misusing money, property, assets, or identity of a vulnerable elderly adult.
Signs of Elder Abuse and Neglect
Signs and indicators of abuse or neglect vary widely, depending on the type of abuse. One sign or another may not be indicative of abuse or lack of abuse. Some signs to keep an eye out for include bedsores, bruises, broken bones, burns, sepsis, bacterial infections and other physical injury. Sudden changes in financial situations or unexplained loss of assets or property may be signs of exploitation. In some cases, elderly adults may deny abuse is occurring out of fear of more abuse. In other cases, due to dementia or other ailments, it may not be possible for a loved one to effectively communicate the situation.
Reporting Elder Abuse and Neglect in California
Reports of elder abuse (adults 65 and older who are unable to meet their own needs and are victims of abuse) can be made to your County Adult Protective Services (APS) agency, the California Department of Health Services (DHS), the Long-Term Care Ombudsman's Office of the California Department of Aging, and the California Attorney General Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse. You may call the Attorney General's toll-free hotline at (800) 722-0432, or contact your local law enforcement agency.
Mandated Elder Abuse Reporting
Under the California Welfare and Institutions Code section 15630, certain individuals are legally mandated to report known or suspected cases of abuse or neglect. These individuals may include clergy, physicians and medical professions, employees of health care facilities and skilled nursing facilities, and other individuals who assume responsibility for the care and custody of an elderly adult. For these individuals, failing to report abuse may be a crime.
Nursing Home Abuse and Civil Claims
The Northern California nursing home neglect attorneys at Estey Bomberger have represented many families in abuse and neglect claims against negligent caregivers and care facilities across the state. Our skilled attorneys have obtained millions for victims and their families and helped hold accountable negligent and intentionally abusive caregivers. If you suspect someone you love is a victim of neglect or abuse at a skilled nursing facility, convalescent home, long term care center, or nursing home, contact us for a free and confidential consultation with one of our attorneys.
Northern California Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Resource Center
- Elder Sex Abuse
- Nursing Home Abuse FAQs
- Nursing Home Abuse Statistics
- Nursing Home Bed Sores
- Nursing Home Elder Abuse
- Nursing Home Elder Emotional Abuse
- Nursing Home Elder Financial Abuse
- Nursing Home Neglect
- Nursing Home Neglect Injuries
- Nursing Home Physical Abuse
- Nursing Home Physical and Chemical Restraints
- Nursing Home Physical Assault
- Nursing Home Sepsis Bacterial Infection
- Nursing Home Serious Bodily Injury
- Nursing Home Slip and Fall Accident
- Nursing Home Wrongful Death
- Pharmaceutical Errors
- Reporting Nursing Home Abuse