Whittier Hills Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer
It can be an intimidating and upsetting experience to have a loved one in a nursing home or assisted living facility. Often the loved one is a parent or a grandparent that has for decades been the family member that has been looking after you. When the tables have turned and you suspect that there has been neglect or abuse against your family member, you have the right to justice and compensation. Sad but true, nursing home abuse is common but you can help increase nursing home safety and care laws.
In the past the Whittier Hills Healthcare Center had two serious complaints filed against it for potential harm and immediate jeopardy to one or more patients. It is located in the county of Los Angeles adjacent to Orange County. This was not the only nursing facility in Los Angeles county with complaints filed against it.
The statistics for nursing homes are shocking. In 2001, the Committee on Government Reform in the U.S. House of Representatives found that 10% of nursing homes in the United States were cited for abuse violations that caused actual harm to residents or placed them in immediate jeopardy of death or serious injury.
In July 2000, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that the quality of care in many nursing homes may be seriously weakened by inadequate staffing. As you can see, the cause for such lack of care oftentimes falls on the shoulders of the facility owner or operator due to understaffing, lack of training or sadly the desire to increase profit over patient care.
These heartbreaking and preventable deaths can be put to a stop. If you or someone you love has been mistreated or neglected at a Whittier Hills Nursing Facility, call 949-203-3814 for a free consultation with a Whittier Hills nursing home lawyer. Find out your options and get your questions answered.
Some violations include:
- Provide social services for related medical problems to help each resident achieve the highest possible quality of life.
- Develop a complete care plan that meets all of a resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
- Give each resident care and services to get or keep the highest quality of life possible.
- Give residents proper treatment to prevent new bed (pressure) sores or heal existing bed sores.
- Give the right treatment and services to residents who have mental or social problems adjusting.
- Make sure that residents are well nourished.
- Give proper treatment to residents with feeding tubes to prevent problems (such as aspiration pneumonia, diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, metabolic abnormalities, nasal-pharyngeal ulcers) and help restore eating skills, if possible.
- Make sure that the attending doctor orders special diets.
- Store, cook, and give out food in a safe and clean way.
- Make sure that the nursing home area is free of dangers that cause accidents.
This information was based off data reported by CMS as of 7/29/10.
These apalling violations show that Whittier Hills Healthcare Center does not care about sanitation, nourishing their patients properly and even providing them with adequate medical care. Not taking care of their bed sores alone is an atrocious thing that has led to immense discomfort and pain among the elderly with this condition. The videos below answer some of the most commonly asked questions on elder abuse.
Citations are issued by the Department of Health Services (DHS) during the annual certification visit.
Citations come in several class depending on their severity. The state average is a little less than one per facility per year, but ideally, a facility should not have any citations.
- Class AA citation is the most serious violation. It is issued when a a nursing facility is responsible for a resident death. Fines range from $25,000 to $100,000.
- Class A citations are issued when nursing home violations cause grave danger to patients that is serious and potentially fatal. Fines range from $2,000 to $20,000.
- Class B citations carry fines from $100 to $1000 for violations that are directly related to to the health, safety, or security of the residents.
- This information should not be used as the sole measure of quality of care in a nursing home. It is important to visit potential facilities and evaluate it yourself.
Nursing home abuse can diverge as neglect or intentional harm. When neglect is the issue, a patient may not be given sufficient food or nutrition, the right medication or dose, or proper medical equipment or living commodities. Failure to pay attention to these aspects in a senior's care can cause fatal disease and debilitating pain ranging from bed sores to malnutrition, overdose, and even gangrene. Look at the signs, and call a professional if you are suspect of abuse and wish to get compensated for suffering and medical costs.
Nursing home abuse and retirement home violations are serious offenses. For more information, call a Whittier Hills nursing home abuse attorney at Bisnar Chase for a free consultation. Our team of lawyers has many years of experience in handling nursing home abuse and neglect cases. We understand the multifaceted federal and state regulations, along with the medical issues that are entwined with these cases.
Call us now to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.
