When you are searching in Orange County or elsewhere in Southern California for a nursing home where your elderly loved one can obtain the level of care they need, it is essential to do as much research as possible and to choose a facility that can provide what your family member needs. There are many different types of facilities in terms of quality and size, and there are also for-profit and non-profit facilities. According to a recent report from CBS News, many for-profit nursing homes in California are not serving residents well, and it is important for families to understand the distinctions between for-profit and non-profit facilities.
Nursing Home Abuse and Negligence Can Happen Anywhere
Before we discuss the important distinctions between for-profit and non-profit nursing homes, and the research surrounding those distinctions, we want to emphasize that nursing home abuse and negligence can happen anywhere. Even seemingly high quality facilities can have issues, and nursing homes with no past records of safety problems can be places where injuries occur.
Accordingly, you should not make any assumptions about whether or not an injury has likely resulted from abuse or negligence based on the facility and its specific characteristics. Rather, you should discuss the details with an attorney and report any concerns of elder abuse or neglect if you see them.
For-Profit Nursing Homes Tend to Be Worse for Elderly Residents
For-profit nursing homes now make up about 70% of all facilities across the United States. According to a recent report from CBS News, investors continue to provide funding for for-profit facilities whose goal is to make money from running nursing homes, but these facilities often pose serious health and safety problems for the seniors who reside within them. Indeed, when it comes to for-profit nursing homes, the report cites “an industry-wide trend toward increasingly complex ownership arrangements that consumer advocates say are endangering fragile patients.” In short, as the percentage of for-profit nursing homes continues to grow, it is more important than ever for family members to be vigilant concerning their elderly loved ones’ health and safety.
Looking at the increasing rate of for-profit nursing homes in California and nationwide, Harvard University professor David Grabowski told CBS News that “the vast majority of quality problems in the US are centered in for-profit nursing homes.” Although a US News & World Report article underscores that there are high-quality for-profit facilities and poor-quality non-profit nursing homes, “the average for-profit facility has been found to have poorer quality of care relative to the average not-for-profit facility.”
Contact Our Orange County Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Lawyers Today
Finding the right nursing home for your loved one can be an arduous and complicated process. After you have selected a facility, you should be able to expect that an elderly parent or relative will be safe and properly cared for at the nursing home. While injuries should never occur as a result of abuse or neglect in any nursing home, unfortunately, injuries arise out of intentional abuse and passive neglect much too often. It is important to remember that nursing home abuse and negligence can happen at for-profit and non-profit facilities, and it can occur regardless of whether the facility has a history of safety violations. If your elderly loved one recently sustained an injury or serious harm, an Orange County nursing home negligence lawyer at our firm can help. Contact the Walton Law Firm today.
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