Articles Posted in Elder Abuse

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A few days ago, Los Angeles’ local ABC 10 News released an article about the Ensign Group’s agreement to a $48 million settlement related to claims of Medicare billing fraud at six nursing facilities in Southern California. And the Medicare fraud wasn’t the worst of it. According to the article, “the lawsuit also claimed some patients were kept in the nursing homes longer than was necessary.” Indeed, the story quickly became national news, as Market Watch from the Wall Street Journal reported on the pricey settlement brought about by the qui tam (or whistleblower) lawsuit.

Cash%20Stack%20Credit.jpgNursing home abuse has been in the spotlight in California over the last couple of months, and as a result, this news might not come as much of a surprise. But it does emphasize that, even though California elder advocates are creating substantial awareness campaigns, nursing home neglect and abuse continues to occur in our state. Do you have an elderly parent or loved one who currently resides in a nursing home or assisted-living facility? It’s important to make sure that your loved one receives the care she or he needs. If you suspect your older parent has been the victim of nursing home abuse, it’s important to contact an experienced California elder law attorney. The dedicated nursing home abuse lawyers at the Walton Law Firm have been handling these cases for years and can discuss your claim with you today.

Details of the Ensign Group’s Medicare Fraud

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Are you worried that an elderly loved one has been a victim of financial abuse? Each day, older adults become targets for financial scammers. Commentators are concerned that privacy laws are likely to protect some of these financial scammers, preventing elderly victims from seeking justice. According to Herb Weisbaum, “The Consumer Man” for NBC News, there’s a major disconnect in the financial world. “When,” he asks, “does the suspicion that an elderly customer is being defrauded overcome laws protecting privacy rights?” In an earlier post, we mentioned that banks might be “quiet enablers” of this kind of elder abuse.

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The problem of elderly financial abuse occurs across the country, and California isn’t immune. Who is responsible for making sure that older adults aren’t taken advantage of financially? For many victims of elder financial abuse, the ramifications are just as vicious as physical nursing home abuse. If you suspect that your elderly parent or loved one has been the victim of a financial crime, it is important to contact an experienced elder justice advocate. With years of experience handling nursing home abuse and neglect cases in Southern California, the dedicated elder law attorneys at the Walton Law Firm can speak to you today about your claim.

Bank Employees in a Position to Help?

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Earlier this month, Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay a settlement of more than $2.2 billion connected to “accusations that it improperly promoted the antipsychotic drug Risperdal to older adults,” according to a recent article in the New York Times. This resolution actually represents the third-largest pharmaceutical settlement in our country, and it’s one of the largest agreements in “a string of recent cases involving the marketing of antipsychotic and antiseizure drugs to older dementia patients.” The federal government is working to ensure that pharmaceutical companies are held liable for bad drugs and bad marketing.

Pills%20Credit.jpgThis news is only the latest in many reports concerning elderly dementia patients and the varied problems of antipsychotic drugs. Indeed, the California Department of Public Health and the Department of Health Care Services have been working to reduce the “off-label” use of antipsychotic medications in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities across the state. Experienced California elder justice advocates have been handling cases involving the use of antipsychotic medications, and the dedicated lawyers at the Walton Law Firm can discuss your claim with you today.

What is Risperdal?

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Have you considered elder in-home health care for one of your parents? Many families see the benefits of these in-home services, but they worry about the level of care that these agencies provide. Earlier this month, we told you about the important distinctions between in-home health care and home care—in short, the former provides medical services, while the latter simply acts as a non-medical caregiver and companion. If you hire a home care provider, you shouldn’t have to worry about elder abuse and neglect because of lackluster licensing laws.

House.jpgMany states have been tightening their oversight of home care agencies over the past several years, due to a general sense of inadequacy in the services provided by these companies. And now, California has joined that group. According to an article in the New York Times, “California has become the latest state to tighten oversight of home agencies that provide custodial care—help with bathing, dressing, toileting and other basic tasks—to older adults and people with disabilities.”

Are you concerned that your elderly loved one has been mistreated by a caregiver? Whether you’re dealing with an in-home agency or the services of a nursing home or assisted-living facility, the experienced California nursing home abuse lawyers at the Walton Law Firm today to discuss your case.

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Over the past few weeks, nursing home abuse and neglect in California has made local and national news. These stories beg the question: are assisted living facilities safe in California? Elder advocates might argue that reforms are in the works, but facilities across the state continue to receive fines and citations. A number of reports related to nursing home abuse and neglect have appeared in U-T San Diego in September. In response to those features, an article written by the president of the California Assisted Living Association (CALA) emphasized the “compassionate, competent care” that many elderly persons do receive in assisted living homes.

Smiling%20Old%20Man%20Credit.jpgWhile many assisted living facilities in California may be providing appropriate care and abiding by the law, many of these homes continue to expose their residents to serious cases of abuse and neglect. If you have an elderly loved one who resides in a nursing facility, it’s important to make sure that your loved one receives the best care possible. If you’re concerned about nursing home abuse or neglect, don’t hesitate to contact an experienced nursing home abuse attorney today.

Do Most Assisted Living Facilities Get it Right?

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Earlier this month, UT San Diego published a news story about a report it co-authored with the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF). What was the story about? The dismal state of assisted living homes in California. This may not come as a surprise to some of us, given that California nursing homes earned a “C” grade in a report card published by Families for Better Care. For many of us, however, it’s shocking and disheartening to learn that so many of the assisted living facilities and nursing homes in our state aren’t passing master.

So what’s being done? On the heels of the CHCF report, UT San Diego released a story about consumer advocates in California and the work they’re doing to encourage assisted living reform in our state. Specifically, Chris Murphy, 67, of San Diego, and Chrisy Selder, 34, of La Mesa, have personally taken up the cause. According to UT San Diego, “the two women are leading a small but hard-hitting campaign to draw attention to a side of long-term care in San Diego that most people have never seen.”

Hand%20in%20Water.jpgAre you concerned about the kind of care your elderly loved one currently receives? No one should have to worry about nursing home abuse and neglect. The experienced nursing home abuse attorneys at the Walton Law Firm can answer your questions today.

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In mid-August, Families for Better Care released its first “Nursing Home Report Card,” which is part of a “project that analyzes, compares, and ranks states’ nursing home quality.” On the California report card, our state only earned a “C” grade, coming in at 28th place in the United States. In fact, the report card stated that “rampant problems plague California nursing homes as 9 out of 10 facilities cited a deficiency.”

What is Families for Better Care? According to its website, Families for Better Care is “a nonprofit citizen advocacy group dedicated to creating public awareness of the conditions in our nation’s nursing home and other long-term care setting and developing effective solutions for improving quality of life and care.” The non-profit group is located in Florida, but its aim is to expose and improve nursing care across the country.

When Families for Better Care released the report card, California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR) emphasized that our state only earned an “average score” on the whole, and in fact earned “D’s in registered nursing hours, deficiencies, and inspections.” What does this mean for your elderly loved ones? In short, many family members may not be receiving the care they need at a nursing home or assisted-living facility. The nursing home abuse attorneys at the Walton Law Firm have experience with these issues and can speak to you today.

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It’s not an area of care that we typically associate with nursing homes, but is your loved one getting access to sufficient dental care? Dental hygiene in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities is no small matter. Indeed, poor dental care can lead to serious health problems. When nursing centers don’t attend to patients’ dental hygiene, they could be committing nursing home abuse or nursing home neglect.

What should you look for? From dusty toothbrushes to severe headaches, a recent article in the New York Times discussed the ways in which nursing homes often neglect oral care for their residents. If you suspect that your elderly loved one is suffering from nursing home abuse or neglect, it’s important to have an advocate on your side. The experienced nursing home abuse attorneys at the Walton Law Firm can discuss your case with you today.

Dental%20Assistant.jpgLimited Dental Care Training and Attention

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Earlier this summer, we told you about a $23 million jury verdict in a bed sore case from northern California. The victim, Joan Boice, had been a resident at the Emeritus at Emerald Hills in Auburn, California before she suffered from painful bed sores and died as a result of nursing home negligence. After this case made national news, PBS Frontline and Propublica took a closer look into the story and expanded an investigation into nursing home practices across the country. The project began airing late last month on PBS, entitled “Life and Death in Assisted Living.”

Confused%20Old%20Man.jpgDetails of the Documentary Series

The documentary is made up of four parts, and it depicts the abuse and neglect that is often overlooked or covered up at various nursing facilities. The series takes a close look at the death of Boice in the Emeritus assisted living facility in northern California, and from there it moves out to other issues of nursing home abuse and neglect across the country.

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A recent survey on health and aging reported by the Los Angeles Times suggested that nearly ninety percent of older adults in the Los Angeles area are “confident they will keep up the quality of their lives as they age.” Yet, most of these elderly persons aren’t doing what they need to be doing to take care of their health and general well being, according to physicians and other medical experts. In other words, most seniors assume they willl remain healthy enough to take care of themselves or at least to stay in their own homes, but from the number of nursing home residents in need of significant care, we know that’s not always true.

Richard Birkel, the senior vice president for health at the National Council on Aging, indicated that many elderly persons are currently dealing with chronic conditions like diabetes or arthritis, and a majority of them aren’t taking the necessary steps for healthy futures. Moreover, many seniors who currently reside in nursing home or assisted-living facilities suffer from chronic conditions for which they often receive only limited care from staff. If your elderly loved one may not be receiving the attention that she needs, an experienced elder justice advocate can help.

Concerned%20Old%20Lady.jpgOlder Adults Don’t Anticipate Nursing Care

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