Southern California Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog
We often think about staff members and other employees at nursing homes and assisted living facilities when we worry about whether our elderly loved ones are receiving proper care. However, spouses, children, and other close relatives of older adults can commit elder abuse, too. Indeed, anyone can commit elder abuse. And a recent article from NBC San Diego reports that a woman from La Jolla, Victoria Turner, who has already been accused of abusing her now-estranged husband, attempted to make her way into a care facility in order to force him to sign legal documents.
Details of the La Jolla Elder Abuse
Back in March, Robert Stella was “rescued from the garbage and filth in his own home,” where Turner was supposed to be caring for him, according to NBC San Diego. Stella recently turned 91 years old. In addition to allowing Stella to reside in a home that was “cluttered and filthy,” Turner has also been accused of tying him to his bed. Turner is almost 40 years younger than Stella, and she’s currently under investigation for elder abuse, as well as animal neglect and cruelty.
When Stella was found, he was “malnourished and dehydrated.” As a result, he was taken to the ICU at a local hospital, where he remained for several days. After recovering from his injuries, Stella was taken to a rehabilitation facility.
According to Stella’s daughter, Turner “used a disguise and fictitious purpose” to make her way into the facility, despite that Stella and his family members recently filed a restraining order against her. While the news story sounds like a tale from a work of fiction, Turner was indeed spotted wearing “a grey wig and dark glasses,” and carrying “a large vase of wild flowers in front of her face” in order to sneak into the facility. She refused to give her name to staff members when asked, and employees of the rehabilitation facility suspected that Turner was attempting to conceal her identity.
In addition to being implicated in Stella’s physical abuse and neglect, staffers at the rehabilitation facility suspect that Turner snuck into the care center in order to commit elder financial abuse. She brought with her “a pair of reading glasses and legal documents for Stella to sign,” reported the NBC San Diego article.
Stella told his daughter that Turner made her way into his room, “put reading glasses on his face and a pen in his hand,” and she insisted that he make changes to his will. Turner repeatedly insisted that Stella “add her to his estate trust” and “give her control over his medical treatment.” When Stella wouldn’t sign the papers, staff members at the facility noticed the struggle, at which point Turner was escorted from the room.
How’d Turner even make it to Stella’s room in the first place? She even bypassed security measures put in place by the facility to ensure that she couldn’t get to Stella. A nurse’s assistant at the facility indicated that she came in a back door to the rehabilitation center and at a time period in which visitors typically aren’t expected.
Contacting a San Diego Elder Abuse Lawyer
The recent story from La Jolla alerts us to the fact that elder abuse can happen anywhere, and even once-trusted family members or caregivers can be to blame. If you suspect that your elderly loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, contact an experienced San Diego nursing home abuse lawyer at the Walton Law Firm today. The nursing facility may be liable, and we can help.
Photo Credit: daystar297 via Compfight cc
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