Southern California Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog
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.”
Are 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.
Consumers Advocates for RCFE Reform
Together, Murphy and Selder founded the nonprofit consumer advocacy group, Consumer Advocates for RCFE Reform. According to UT San Diego, Murphy and her husband provide most of the funding to the group.
What exactly are the two women and their nonprofit group doing to promote assisted living reform in California? In short, they’re “doing what the state should be doing,” Murphy told UT San Diego. Murphy and Selder post important files on their website, and they “counsel seniors and families seeking safe surroundings.” In addition, and perhaps most importantly, they “lock horns with state regulators and push prosecutors to bring charges.”
The state of California doesn’t post records for its assisted living facilities online. With the help of interns, Murphy and Selder spent a significant amount of time at the offices of the state Department of Social Services (DSS), using scanners to “copy inspection reports and records of penalties and fines.” Now, their website provides reports “for nearly every one of the 640 licensed assisted living homes in San Diego County.”
While posting records for assisted living homes in San Diego County, the two women grew increasingly concerned about the lack of charges brought against these facilities, especially considering the reports of “suspicious deaths, rapes, physical and verbal abuse, theft, medication errors and life-threatening bedsores” that never seemed to attract much attention from the state.
As a result, Murphy and Selder began mailing reports of nursing home abuse to state prosecutors. And as of today, they’ve managed to provide records of 83 “unusual events” to state and local prosecutors. Paul Greenwood, a San Diego County deputy district attorney who prosecutes elder abuse, said that the two women told him about nursing home “horror stories” that he didn’t even know existed.
Elder Justice Advocates Can Help
The work that Murphy and Selder have undertaken is vital for the health of our elderly loved ones in California. If you suspect that your elderly loved one has suffered from nursing home abuse or nursing home neglect in one of the many assisted living homes in our state, it’s never too early to speak to an experienced nursing home abuse lawyer. Contact us today to discuss your case.
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