Articles Tagged with California nursing home abuse lawyer

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There is no situation in which an older adult in a Sonoma County nursing home should die because of a preventable sepsis infection. Yet sepsis deaths are rising in nursing homes across the country, and it is crucial for family members to understand that these deaths are avoidable. According to a report from California Healthline, investigations over the last several years have revealed that sepsis deaths occur at a much higher rate than people used to suspect. Nursing home residents are already at a higher risk of developing infections than the general population given their advanced age, reduced immune capacities, and safety issues in facilities. Much too often, somewhat minor infections are not properly diagnosed or treated, and as a result, sepsis develops and becomes fatal.

If you have an elderly loved one in a Bay Area nursing home, what do you need to know about the serious risks of infections, and in particular, about sepsis? Our Sonoma County nursing home neglect lawyer can provide you with the information you need.

What is Sepsis and How Does It Occur in Nursing Homes?

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jeremy-wong-298986-copy-300x200Making the decision to help an elderly parent or loved one move into a nursing home can be extremely stressful, especially given the prevalence of serious injuries resulting from nursing home abuse and neglect. It is extremely important for family members and loved ones to be aware of the signs of abuse and neglect while recognizing that abuse can take many different forms. Often, when there are reports of neglect at nursing homes or assisted-living facilities in California, those reports arise out of passive neglect — unintentional harm that usually results from a facility being understaffed, having staff members who are burned out, or other conditions that result in residents failing to receive the amount or type of care they need. But does neglect also take other forms?

Intentional abuse can take many forms, and sometimes other intentional acts can result in signs and symptoms associated with passive neglect. Our Orange County nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers can explain in more detail.

Abuse and Neglect Takes Many Forms

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rawpixel-487102-unsplash-copy-300x207Sonoma County and other regions of the Bay Area have a somewhat lower fall rate among older adults than other states in the country, according to recently released data, yet falls remain a leading cause of injury among the elderly in California. Whether a fall occurs in a nursing home or assisted-living facility in the Bay Area, how do these falls happen, and who is responsible for any injuries that result from the falls?

Our Sonoma County nursing home negligence lawyers can tell you more about the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and we can also provide you with more information about determining liability when an elderly loved one suffers injuries in a fall at a skilled nursing facility or residential care facility for the elderly in our state.

Who is Responsible When an Elderly Resident Falls?

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Choking-300x175In Marin County and throughout the Bay Area, nursing home residents are at risk of various types of injuries that can result from facility negligence and passive neglect. Staff members may not intend to cause harm, but due to issues such as understaffing and staff burnout, residents do not receive the type or degree of care they need. As MedlinePlus and the National Library of Medicine underscore, as we age, sensory and other physical changes occur that can make injuries more likely without careful assistance and monitoring, especially changes to vision, balance, and throat muscles. These three forms of physical decline, in particular, can be especially dangerous because they can result in falls and choking injuries in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities. Our Marin County nursing home negligence lawyers can tell you more. 

How Fall-Related and Choking Injuries Happen in Nursing Homes

Injuries resulting from falls and choking both have something important in common: they often occur when a nursing home resident has not received the amount of care or assistance they require. For example, many nursing home residents need assistance with certain daily activities to avoid a fall. Similarly, many residents need particular assistance at meal times to prevent a choking incident.

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Why is it so important for family and friends of elderly nursing home residents to be able to recognize and report signs of abuse or neglect? In short, there are various circumstances in which residents themselves cannot, or simply choose not to, report abuse. Our San Diego nursing home neglect lawyers can explain these phenomena in more detail, and we can speak with you today if you have concerns about an elderly loved one’s health or safety in a Bay Area nursing home.

Inability to Report Abuse Due to Cognitive Impairment

Many older adults in Southern California nursing homes are residing in these facilities because they need a high level of care associated with their cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment among older adults can have different causes, including Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia or the result of a stroke.

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What does social media have to do with nursing home abuse and neglect in Fremont or elsewhere in the Bay Area? The two things — social media and nursing home abuse — might not seem like they would have any relation to one another. However, as various types of social media platforms have become increasingly popular among wide-ranging age groups, and forms of psychological and emotional abuse continue to occur in nursing home and assisted-living facility settings, the two things have, unfortunately, coincided. 

According to a recent report from McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, more than 10 years after a large-scale investigation addressed nursing home staff members posting humiliating, belittling, and embarrassing photos of residents on social media accounts, this behavior persists. Our Fremont nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers can tell you more about the recent report, and we can help you to seek accountability if this type of unconscionable act has harmed an elderly loved one in your family.

Harms of Psychological and Emotional Abuse

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Whether you have an elderly loved one in a nursing home in Santa Clara or elsewhere in the San Francisco Bay Area, it is important for you to understand the risks associated with wandering. Wandering is a particular issue for elderly nursing home residents who have Alzheimer’s disease, another form of dementia, or other cognitive impairments. As such, if your elderly parent or loved one has been diagnosed with any disease or condition that involves cognitive impairment and they are currently living in a nursing home, you should learn more about wandering and how the facility can be liable when it happens. Our Santa Clara nursing home neglect attorneys can tell you more, and we can speak with you today about filing a claim to hold the facility accountable.

What is Wandering in a Nursing Home Context?

Nursing home residents with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are at risk of “wandering.” The term can have a range of meanings, according to a study in the journal Practical Neurology, but it is one that is applied to “dementia-related locomotion activities.” What does this mean? 

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Falls are a serious problem for older adults in nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Sonoma County and throughout the Bay Area. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls result in serious mobility limitations for about 10 percent of all older adults every year. Falls are responsible for more than 80 percent of hip fracture deaths among the elderly, and they are the reason for nearly 90 percent of emergency department visits for older adults. Falls are also the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries among older nursing home residents.

If you have an elderly loved one in a Bay Area nursing home or assisted living facility, what fall hazards should you be looking for when you visit the facility? Our Sonoma County nursing home neglect attorneys can explain in more detail below.

Physical Conditions That Can Result in Falls

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Will you be visiting an elderly loved one in an Orange County nursing home this holiday season? If so, it is important to keep an eye out for any potential signs of nursing home abuse or neglect. Thanksgiving and the weeks leading up to Christmas and the New Year are often the time of year when elderly nursing home residents receive the most visitors. It may also be the only time of the year that you get to visit with your elderly parent or grandparent, so it is essential to do your best to ensure that your loved one is happy, healthy, and safe in their current environment.

What should you be thinking about as you plan for your visit with your elderly loved one who is currently residing in a Southern California nursing home? Consider the following from our nursing home neglect lawyers in Orange County.

Discuss Your Visit with Friends and Family Members Ahead of Time

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Moving a family member into a nursing home in San Diego County can be an emotionally difficult process for your loved one, as well as for yourself. There are many news reports about horrific incidents of nursing home abuse or neglect that result in severe and deadly harm to nursing home residents, and it can be difficult to know if you have done enough research and made the right decision for the elderly person you love. An important way of being sure that your loved one’s nursing home has taken proper safety precautions is to make a checklist and to bring it with you to the facility. The following is helpful information to include on your checklist.

What You Should Put on Your Nursing Home Safety Checklist

Even the most expensive nursing homes can have problems with abuse, neglect, and negligence. Likewise, even facilities with no history of safety violations can have problems arise. What should you be looking for when you visit a loved one in a nursing home or assisted living facility? It can be helpful to make a detailed checklist that you can use during each and every visit. That checklist may include a wide range of signs or indicators of abuse, neglect, or negligence (or risk factors for abuse or negligence), including the following:

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