Northern California Nursing Home Physical Abuse Attorneys
Nursing Home Physical Abuse
According to the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), more than one million Americans each year age 65 or older have been injured or mistreated by a caregiver. Mistreatment can include physical abuse, which is the use of physical force to inflict bodily injury and physical pain. Nursing home residents are often reluctant to disclose the physical abuse for fear of retaliation by the caregiver or feelings of shame and embarrassment. Regardless of the reasons for the residents not disclosing the abuse, it does not remove blame from the caregiver for their harmful actions.
The law firm of Estey Bomberger has built a reputation as one of the most successful firms in northern California, handling many cases of elder physical abuse in nursing homes, hospitals, long-term care facilities and skilled nursing facilities. Our northern California elder physical abuse attorneys are well-versed in all areas of nursing home abuse litigation and will not rest until your loved one has received full and fair compensation for any expenses related to their injuries, including medical care costs and pain and suffering or damages for a loved one's wrongful death. Our firm has experience in handling personal injury or wrongful death claims involving:
- Nursing homes
- Assisted living facilities
- Residential care facilities
- Hospitals
- Private caregivers
- Acute and sub-acute care facilities
- Other licensed health care facilities.
Signs of Northern California Elder Physical Abuse
Caregivers can inflict harm on a nursing home resident in may ways, including hitting, punching, scratching, shoving, kicking, slapping and pulling hair. Two other common forms of elder physical abuse are withholding food and over or under medicating the resident. The numerous signs of elder physical abuse, include:
- Bruises or welts in a localized area, such as the neck, back or groin
- Rope marks on wrist or ankles
- Patchy, unexplained hair loss
- Wounds or sores
- Unexplained bone fractures
- Dislocation or sprains in various stages
- Incoherent, confused or drowsy behavior by the resident
- Fear, anxiety or depression exhibited by the resident
- Caregiver refusing to allow visitors or calls to the resident.
Protecting Your Friend or Family Member
Friends and family members can be proactive when it comes to preventing elder physical abuse from happening. One proactive step is visiting or calling the nursing home resident as often as they can. By keeping a careful watch on the resident and their surroundings, it is easier to detect abnormal happenings or behavior. In addition, ask to review the resident’s medical report and look for any unusual medications being administered or unauthorized procedures being done. Watch for the signs of physical abuse and if it is suspected, report it to authorities. In northern California, there is hotlines set up by several agencies to report elder abuse, including Adult Protective Services and Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs.
Skilled Legal Representation for Victims of Physical Abuse
If a loved one is a victim of physical elder abuse, call one of our northern California nursing home abuse lawyers for a free and private consultation to discuss your legal rights. The skilled legal team at Estey Bomberger has developed a reputation as one of the most successful in handling nursing home abuse claims against the negligent or careless actions of those who were obligated to provide safe care for the nursing home resident. Our experienced personal injury attorneys can answer questions you might have about the abuse and what can be done to stop it, as well as explain your rights to compensation for you or your loved one's abuse. To learn more, call us at (800) 890-6722 to speak with a northern California nursing home abuse lawyer or fill out our online case evaluation form today.