LA Nursing Home Neglect 2

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North Hollywood Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect Attorneys

North Hollywood attorneys with 150 years of combined experience fighting for seniors

Nursing homes are facilities that provide housing, meals, medical care, and personal care for seniors and anyone who has a disability. Nursing homes may provide short-term rehabilitative care, long-term care, and dementia care. The owners and managers of nursing homes are required to follow federal laws and California laws that regulate the type and quality of care they can provide. Nursing homes are also required to comply with well-known standards of care including fall prevention, proper nutrition, individualized care, and other safety measures. At Garcia & Artigliere, our North Hollywood elder abuse and neglect lawyers have numerous six and seven-figure results for our clients. We represent individuals and families in personal injury, class action, and wrongful death cases - call us today to assert your rights.

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What types of conduct are considered nursing home abuse or neglect?

Nursing homes can be liable if their neglect causes a staff member to abuse a resident. Nursing homes can also be found liable if they directly participate in the abuse.

Abuse is categorized as follows:

  • Physical abuse. Physical abuse involves any type of force including slapping, hitting, or punching. Physical abuse also involves the use of physical or chemical restraints, and denying a resident food, medications, or other daily needs.
  • Sexual abuse. Sexual abuse involves forcing a resident to engage in sexual acts or watch sexual acts without their consent. Sexual abuse also involves promises of kinder treatment in return for sexual conduct. Sexual abuse may be done by the nursing home supervisors, staff members, or even other residents.
  • Emotional abuse. Emotional abuse is often used by staff members to control or punish a resident. Many of the victims include seniors with cognitive impairments or physical challenges. Emotional abuse involves isolating a resident from other people including family and friends. Examples include yelling, insulting, and demeaning a North Hollywood resident.

Nursing home neglect occurs when a nursing home fails to take reasonable precautions to prevent residents from harm. Common-sense strategies can prevent most types of harm. Nursing home neglect includes the failure to protect residents from malnutrition, dehydration, bedsores, bowel and bladder disorders, unsanitary conditions, wandering, and elopement. Neglect also includes failing to address the medical needs of a resident in a timely and competent manner. The nursing home staff should never abandon a resident.

One other type of elder abuse is financial abuse which involves taking advantage of a senior’s frailties for financial gain and stealing cash or credit card information from a senior nursing home resident.

Nursing home medication negligence

Virtually every senior takes one or more prescription drugs. Many people with a disability use medications too. The staff members and nurses who help seniors with their medications need to ensure that residents are given the correct medications at the correct times in the correct dosages – in the proper manner (oral or injected).

The US National Institute for Health (NIH) defines a medication mistake as:

… any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the healthcare professional, patient, or consumer. Such events may be related to professional practice, health care products, procedures, and systems, including prescribing; order communication; product labeling, packaging, and nomenclature; compounding; dispensing; distribution; administration; education; monitoring; and use.

At Garcia & Artigliere, our North Hollywood nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys have the skills and resources (working relationships with doctors and pharmacists) to show that nursing home medication mistakes were preventable. California nursing homes should:

  • Have individual care plans that explain what physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges each resident has, what medications are prescribed, and which doctors and family members to contact in case of an emergency. The plan should also detail the daily needs and preferences of each resident.
  • Record when each resident takes the medications, and when refills need to be ordered
  • Provide prompt medical care if there are any side effects or medical complications

Delayed or denied treatment of stroke negligence

North Hollywood nursing homes should understand ischemic or hemorrhaging stroke symptoms. Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) can save lives if the drug is given to the resident within three hours from the time stroke symptoms begin. tPA is a drug that breaks up blood clots that prevent the brain from getting the blood it needs. Quick medical care can also help save the lives of residents who are having hemorrhaging (bleeding in the brain) strokes.

Nearly 200,000 people who have strokes die every year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Our North Hollywood nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers work with ER and heart physicians who can verify that nursing home delay caused a resident to suffer a severe stroke or die.

When should I be concerned my loved one is being abused or neglected in a North Hollywood nursing home?

Some of the signs of abuse or neglect at North Hollywood nursing homes include:

  • Indications that a resident fell
  • Dehydration/malnutrition
  • Bedsores/pressure ulcers
  • Fractured limbs and broken bones
  • Cuts and bruises
  • Bowel and bladder malfunction
  • Scabies
  • Untreated infections
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Poor hygiene
  • Fear of other people in the nursing home
  • Withdrawal from social activities
  • A lack of communication with family and friends
  • Indications your loved one isn’t taking his or her medications
  • Physical abuse
  • Sexual abuse
  • A lack of competent medical care
  • Wandering away from the nursing home or eloping (leaving) the nursing home
  • Abandonment of a resident
  • Self-neglect
  • The wrongful death of a North Hollywood resident

Nearly 64% of nursing home staff members have confessed to some form of senior abuse or neglect in the prior year according to Brigham Young University data.

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What rights do the people who live in North Hollywood nursing homes have?

Nursing homes are required to respect the rights of nursing home residents in California based on the following laws:

The rights of nursing home residents in North Hollywood include the right to:

  • Be treated with respect
  • File complaints
  • Be included in decisions about their medical care
  • Participate in discussions, exercises, and other social activities
  • Be free from the use of physical or chemical restraints
  • Spend time with family and friends
  • Privacy
  • Notify a representative such as an attorney
  • Manage their finances
  • Obtain social services
  • Spend time away from the nursing home
  • Be free from abuse

Our North Hollywood nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers file complaints when your loved one’s rights are violated.

Who is responsible for North Hollywood nursing home abuse or neglect?

Garcia & Artigliere has been fighting for nursing home residents since 1993. In a case settled in November 2023, we helped the US Justice Department obtain a $46 million settlement against a California skilled nursing management company, the owners, and six California nursing facilities. The complaint alleged that the defendants violated the US False Claims Act by engaging in a kickback scheme.

When nursing home abuse or neglect occurs, we file claims against everyone responsible including:

  • The North Hollywood nursing home
  • The owners and managers of the nursing home
  • The nursing home employees if they abused a resident
  • Medical care professionals who acted negligently
  • Any other responsible parties, such as contractors

The resident’s damages include their current and future:

  • Medical bills. These costs include ER care, surgeries, hospital stays, physical therapy, psychological counseling, and other medical expenses
  • Physical pain and emotional suffering
  • Loss of bodily function
  • Any scarring or disfigurement
  • Inability to enjoy life’s pleasures

Many residents already have some ailments. Any type of abuse or neglect is usually devastating.

At Garcia & Artigliere, we also file wrongful death claims if your parent, grandparent, or another relative died due to abuse or neglect.

How do your lawyers fight for the victims of nursing home neglect in California?

At Garcia & Artigliere, our North Hollywood nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys have helped thousands of seniors and disabled people obtain strong recoveries. We:

  • Understand when nursing homes violate federal or state laws
  • Understand what policies and procedures should have been implemented – but weren’t
  • Work with experienced nursing home professionals who understand when care is improper
  • Review nursing home records, such as notices of prior complaints, individual care plans, nursing home protocols, insurance policies, and other information
  • Question everyone involved
  • Work with law enforcement, the California Ombudsman, and local adult protective services
  • Review the medical treatments your loved one will need and every way your loved one’s life is impacted by the abuse or neglect

Please contact us quickly. The sooner we can start, the sooner we can help your loved one recover.

Do you have a North Hollywood nursing home abuse and neglect attorney near me?

Garcia & Artigliere represents nursing home residents across California. We consult with seniors and people who are disabled at our office, the nursing home, or other mutual locations. We also speak with clients by phone and through video conferences.

We understand how upset you are. We’ll answer all your questions and any questions your loved one has. We’ll guide you through the claims process.

Talk with a respected North Hollywood nursing home abuse and neglect lawyer at Garcia & Artigliere now

At Garcia & Artigliere, our North Hollywood elder care and disability lawyers have obtained numerous recoveries for millions and hundreds of thousands of dollars. We have the experience and advocacy skills to take on the big insurance companies nursing homes use. To schedule a free consultation, call us or complete our contact form today. We represent nursing home victims in North Hollywood, Long Beach, Los Angeles, and other California locations. We also represent clients in Arizona, Kentucky, and Louisiana. Our lawyers represent victims on a contingency fee basis.

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