Huntington Beach Nursing Home Attorneys

If you worrasdf that your family member or loved one has been abused or neglected while in the care of a nursing home, contact the Huntington Beach Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers of Bisnar Chase.

Our injury attorneys believe that abusive nursing home staff should be held greatly accountable for their wrongdoings. The law firm of Bisnar Chase has won over $500 million in compensation and has sustained a 96% success rate for over 40 years.

Call our Huntington Beach skilled nursing facility attorneys at 949-203-3814 and earn a free consultation with an experienced legal team expert.

3 Common Types of Elder Abuse in Huntington Beach

Many elderly people are moved into a nursing facility because they can no longer care for themselves. This means that many nursing home residents are relatively defenseless and vulnerable. They may depend on nursing staff to be bathed, dressed and fed. This makes elderly residents at risk of being victimized by certain individuals who could exploit them in many ways.

Types of abuse which is common among senior residents include:

1. Physical abuse: Injuries that are inflicted upon senior citizens can be dangerous and also fatal. Physical abuse of a vulnerable or defenseless patient may involve a staff member, a visitor, a stranger or even another resident. When physical abuse involves a visitor or stranger, it may reflect a lack of security at the facility. When it involves a staff member, it may reflect a lack of due diligence during the hiring process. If you suspect that your relative is being physically abused your loved one may exhibit physical ailments such as bedsores, bruises, cuts and internal bleeding. Neglect can also be a form of abuse. If your loved one is dehydrated or has lost a substantial amount of weight, you can file a claim on behalf of your loved one as well.
2. Sexual abuse: Sexual abuse of seniors is a frightening reality in our society today. It can happen in even the swankiest, most affluent hospitals and nursing homes. This form of abuse happens more than anyone would care to admit and it is widely unreported. If you have a loved one in a Huntington Beach nursing home, it may be in your best interest to understand the causes of sexual abuse in nursing homes, the different types of sexual abuse and the many potential signs and symptoms of sexual abuse. Nursing home sexual abuse encompasses any form of non-consensual sexual contact with a resident. Nursing home sexual abuse encompasses any form of non-consensual sexual contact with a resident. The many forms of sexual abuse include sodomy, rape, sexual coercion, forced nudity, sexually explicit photographing, forced viewing of pornography or any sexually suggestive act that is offensive or that makes the other person uncomfortable. Questions must be asked if the resident gets a sexually transmitted disease
3. Emotional abuse: Tragically, victims of abuse often become withdrawn, embarrassed or intimidated. Nursing home abuse victims fail to step forward and others are often kept quiet through intimidation by the individual responsible for their suffering. Any time there is a physical ailment that is unexplained or not included on the medical reports, it may be a red flag that wrongdoing has occurred. Many victims are so traumatized by the abuse that their personality changes. Visitors should take note if their loved one undergoes a sudden change in demeanor. Many injury victims become depressed or easily agitated. Others may refuse to see visitors or become despondent or even suicidal. It is important to recognize these changes and to ask questions.

The Difference between Nursing Homes and RCFE’s

RCFE’S (residential care facilities) and Nursing homes share many parallels but differ in two aspects: medical treatment and licensing. Residential care facilities are licensed by the state of California’s Department of Social Services, unlike Nursing homes which acquire their licensing from the California Department of Public Health.

It is not mandatory for residential care facilities to have workers who are certified in the medical field. Residential care facilities are to only supervise and assist seniors with daily activities. Huntington Beach Nursing homes are equipped with employees that have medical treatment training such as nursing.

If your loved one has several serious medical conditions you may want to consider placing your loved one in an assisted living center.

Choosing the Right Southern California Nursing Home Facility

Making the choice to place a loved one in a nursing home can be a hard decision to make. Families who can no longer afford to care for their elderly loved ones seek assistance from an establishment that they feel they can trust. There are specific qualities you need to look out for when choosing a senior living facility for your loved one.

Essential qualities that you must look out for in a nursing home include the level of sanitation of a nursing home obtains, staff and activities. Sanitation is one of the most important factors that determine whether or not a nursing home is up to par with cleanliness. Ask yourself when you walk into the facility, "Does it smell good or is there a stench of urination?", "Are the residents in the facility washed and bathed?"

The number of staff members for each shift will determine whether your loved one is being closely monitored and cared for. If there does not seem to be a sufficient amount of staff members on the job upon your visit chances are that there is a shortage of workers. Remember a shortage of staff could be a clear indicator that some residents may not be receiving the right care.

Activities may seem trivial when it comes to prioritizing what is important to look out for in a good senior care facility, but your loved one will be spending maybe the rest of their life in this establishment. Pleasure and enjoyment should be part of the requirements that you include when finding the right nursing home for your loved one.

Senior resident home abuse occurs for numerous reasons. It is the responsibility of the nursing home facility to be proactive to make sure all their elderly clients are safe and cared for properly. Liability for any injuries that an elder has suffered can fall on the nursing home. What motivates a person or facility to abuse a feeble resident?

Elder resident abuse occurs due to:

• Understaffed facilities: At times, nursing homes will try to cut corners to save money and do not hire enough workers. Due to the lack of staff, many seniors are neglected. Elderly clients that are neglected may go days without being shower, fed or moved. Neglect can lead a resident to form bedsores, suffering from an infection or their health may deplete due to a staff member not providing them with their daily medications.
• Exhausted and stressed out staff members: Since the nursing home is understaffed many workers can feel pressured to complete many tasks at once. The anxiety that comes with taking care of many clients can lead a nursing home employee to make many mistakes. Some workers may even act out in anger towards the elder and physically or verbally abuse them. Again, it is the responsibility of the nursing home facility to make sure their employees are not being overworked.
• Family members or caretakers lose their patience: Elder abuse sometimes does not take place in a nursing home. Sometimes abuse and neglect amongst seniors takes place in their own home by a caregiver, nurse or family member. Since the caregiver of the elder is not directly or physically supervised by a superior this can lead to many issues. One of them can be taking advantage of the client sexually, taking money or possessions or withholding necessary medications. Family members who no longer have the patience or desire to care for their elderly family member should seek assistance immediately. Solutions to alleviate the stress of taking care of a loved one would be to seek out aide from other family members, hire a nurse or considering placing an loved one in a nursing home facility.

Contacting a Huntington Beach Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

If you worry that your family member or loved one has been sexually abused while in the care of a nursing home, please contact the local law enforcement authorities to file a complaint. It would also be in victims' best interests to seek the counsel of an experienced Huntington Beach nursing home abuse lawyer. The knowledgeable Huntington Beach nursing home abuse lawyers at Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys have successfully handled sensitive cases against nursing homes on behalf of victims and their families. Nursing homes are tasked with the important responsibility of protecting these vulnerable seniors. Failing to do so is simply unacceptable.

If you or a loved one is a victim of sexual abuse or any other form of nursing home abuse or neglect, please call us at our Orange County law offices 949-203-3814 or contact us for a free case evaluation.