Experienced and Trusted Nursing Home Abuse Law Firm
San Diego Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys
Protecting the Rights of Nursing Home Residents in San Diego
With the aging Baby Boomer population, the number of older adults in nursing homes is increasing. Approximately 1.5 million senior citizens in the U.S. currently live in nursing homes, as stated in an article published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In California and throughout the country, nursing home abuse has become a national crisis.
What Are the Different Types of Nursing Home Abuse?
Abuse of elderly nursing home residents can occur in different forms. The common types of abuse are:
- Physical abuse: Physical nursing home abuse involves actions that cause physical harm to a resident. For example, it may include hitting, kicking, pinching, shoving, hair pulling, and misuse of physical or chemical restraints.
- Emotional abuse: This category includes a wide range of emotionally damaging behavior toward a resident. Emotional abuse may involve yelling, criticizing, humiliating, isolating, or gaslighting – manipulating a resident into questioning his or her own sanity and ability to reason.
- Neglect: This type of indirect abuse is common when facilities are understaffed, or staff are inadequately trained. Nursing home neglect involves failing to properly care for residents, such as letting their calls go unanswered, failing to feed, bathe, or change them, allowing them to become dehydrated, and failing to get them prompt medical attention for illnesses or injuries.
- Sexual abuse: Sexual abuse is subjecting a resident to any unwanted sexual attention or conduct. Residents with dementia or other types of cognitive impairment are more likely to be sexually exploited in nursing homes.
- Financial exploitation: Nursing home employees may exploit elderly nursing home residents financially by stealing their assets or personal belongings or committing identity theft.
- Resident abuse: In some cases, nursing home residents are abused by other residents. Resident-to-resident abuse may be physical, emotional, sexual, or financial. Nursing homes have a legal duty to keep their residents free from harm, including harm from other residents.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Abuse and Neglect in Nursing Home?
Abuse in San Diego nursing homes can have serious ramifications for elderly residents. It can lead to pain, increased risk of premature death, fear, anxiety, a sense of helplessness, and depleted financial resources. Many instances of nursing home abuse and neglect go unreported. It is important for family members to recognize the signs and symptoms, which may include the following:
- Welts, bruises, broken bones, and other injuries, and the use of physical or chemical restraints may be signs of physical abuse.
- Malnutrition, dehydration, rapid weight loss, unsanitary conditions, bed sores, and untreated infections are indications of nursing home neglect.
- Changes in emotional state or behavior, confusion, agitation, withdrawal, depression, and lack of interest in activities may be signs of emotional abuse.
- Signs of financial abuse may include unexplained disappearance of money or possessions, unauthorized withdrawal of funds with a resident’s ATM card, and unexplained changes in bank accounts.
What Should You Do If You Suspect Nursing Home Abuse in San Diego?
If you have reason to suspect nursing abuse or neglect, take action right away. Remain calm and question nursing home staff and management regarding any signs of abuse. Be willing to hear what they have to say. If they are unable to explain the situation satisfactorily, take more formal action. Take photos and notes, call the police if there is imminent danger or clear abuse, report the situation to the authorities, and call an experienced San Diego nursing home abuse lawyer.
Our San Diego personal injury attorneys at Eugene Bruno & Associates can investigate the situation and help your family pursue a claim for compensation against the nursing home facility. We have a 99.7% success rate. Contact us at (619) 209-6066.
Additional Nursing Home Abuse Information
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