When Sean Suh’s grandmother was admitted to a residential care facility he wanted to make sure she was being watched at all times. To do that, he installed a camera at her bedside that recorded his grandmother 24/7. The camera wasn’t hidden, and frequently when Ms. Suh would visit his…
The Sacramento Business Journal is out with an article accusing the State of California of exposing elderly nursing home residents to dangerous caregivers because state regulators have failed to implement a 2006 law that requires the creation of a centralized database for background checks on all long-term caregivers. According to…
If you considering using the services of a residential care facility for the elderly or an assisted living facility, you may be wondering how to select a good one. Unfortunately, there is no rating system like you might find in hospitals, and now nursing homes, but there are actions you…
If you or a loved one is being threatened by eviction from your assisted living facility (or residential care facility), it is important to know that the law is on your side. Under the California Code of Regulations, an assisted living resident can be eviction for only five reasons: 1.…
On a fairly regular basis I get telephone calls asking for a recommendation to a “good” nursing home or assisted living facility. I have to refrain from answering, because though I have brought legal actions against many nursing homes for abuse and neglect, I also know there are plenty of…
When Georgia Fitsos was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in 2006, her family came to the sad realization that Georgia could no longer live alone. Too healthy for skilled nursing care, the family chose to place their mother in Broadstone Residential Facility after reading a fancy brochure that promised…
Unlike nursing homes, residential care facilities or assisted living facilities are not subject to the same regulation and government oversight. One can’t simply log on to the myriad of nursing home evaluation websites to look at the latest inspection reports or complaint investigation. So how do you adequately evaluate a…
A University of Chicago study reveals that approximately 13 percent of elderly Americans experience some sort of mistreatment. The most common form of abuse was verbal, experienced by 9 percent of elderly Americans, then financial mistreatment, experienced by 3.5 percent, and then physical abuse, reported by .2 percent of the…
Despite having the same odds at recovery, elderly trauma patients are being steered away from top trauma hospitals while younger patients are getting the better care. A new study finds emergency medical personnel are systematically discriminating against seniors. The study examined 10 years of data from ambulance trips in the…
Residential care facilities for the elderly are a largely unregulated in California. Despite the fact that they house more than 100,000 Californians, many with limited mobility, there is currently no requirement that they maintain disaster readiness plan other than a one-page disaster plan. That soon may change. Last week the…