The heirs of an elderly nursing home resident have sued the nursing home for causing the death of their father Oliver Shrock. The lawsuit alleges that caregivers at Kindred Healthcare Center in Orange County ignored the family’s warnings that Shrock was at risk for falling, and failing to take appropriate…
All licensed nursing homes in California are licensed and certified by the California Department of Public Health, which conducts an annual inspection of every licensed skilled nursing facility in the state. In addition, the DPH is charged with the duty to investigate complaints of neglect or abuse, and issue the…
Nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers in California often lament the state’s weak enforcement of bad nursing homes. The California Department of Public Health, due primarily to inadequate funding, rarely provides the strong oversight of California’s 1,200 or so licensed skilled nursing facilities. As a result, bad nursing homes operate…
When a person has very serious concerns that a nursing home resident has been subject to abuse or neglect in the home, a complaint may be filed with the state. The California Department of Public Health (DPH) licenses and certifies all nursing homes in California, and maintains a process for…
Ninety-two-year-old Robert Doscher was admitted to Valley Gardens Health Care, a for-profit nursing home, on May 18, 2007. He came from a hospital where he was being treated for a mini-stroke, and other heart issues. Upon admission to the nursing home, he needed the use of a walker, and the…
A nursing home called Valley Gardens Health Care and Rehabilitation in Stockton, California has received an “AA” citation from the California Department of Public Health due the neglect of one of its residents. The AA citation is the most severe penalty that can be levied by the state, and is…
In a strongly worded report, the California Senate Office of Oversight and Outcomes recommended major reforms to the California long-term care ombudsman program. The responsibility of the Ombudsman program is to investigate and resolve complaints made by individual residents in nursing homes. According to the California Advocates for Nursing Home…
Tri-City Hospital in Oceanside was fined $25,000 by the California Department of Public Health for “failure to ensure the health and safety of a patient” who fell out of bed and fractured her hip. The hospital has modified its policies as a result. According to reports, a 91-year-old woman who…
A Tracy, California nursing home received a $100,000 fine and a AA citation, the state’s most severe, after it was determined that the death of a 78-year-old resident was due to nursing home malpractice. The nursing home staff failed to monitor the woman’s medication and failed to send her to…
A bill that will increase fines from $6,000 to $10,000 for individuals found guilty of placing an elderly person (over age 65) or a dependent adult in a situation where death or great bodily harm is likely has been signed by Governor Schwarzenegger. The bill, which will take effect January…