Contra Costa Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys
Contra Costa County contains a population of senior citizens who require special care and medical assistance. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of physical and financial elder abuse cases related to nursing homes. Before deciding to place your loved one in a nursing home facility, educate yourself about the dangers and realities of nursing home abuse. Pressure sores from neglect, bedsores, and decubitus ulcers are injuries that can happen at nursing homes when care is not optimal. Even with proper research, however, the sad truth is that you may still find yourself needing the assistance of Contra Costa nursing home abuse attorneys.
Our Firm Serves Seniors and Families in Contra Costa County
Nursing home abuse is a growing concern; and, as more California residents move into nursing homes and become reliant upon others for their medications, health care and daily necessities, acknowledging the risk of nursing home negligence and abuse is taking on heightened importance. Sadly, more and more senior residents of Contra Costa and other Northern California communities are falling victim to both physical and financial elder abuse. Victims and those who love them should hold the abusers accountable for the mistreatment.
If you or an aging loved one has experienced nursing home abuse in Contra Costa County, our lawyers can help. We have decades of experience representing seniors and their families, and we are passionate about protecting those who have been physically, sexually, emotionally and financially abused. We can help ensure that you or your loved one has access to all necessary medical and psychological treatment, we can extricate you or your loved one from an abusing living environment if necessary, we can pursue caregivers, insurance agents or others who may have financially exploited you, and we can make sure that you and your family are compensated for the financial and non-financial losses you have endured.
Assisting Victims of All Forms of Nursing Home Abuse
With extensive experience representing all seniors, including nursing home residents, seniors receiving in-home care and other aging individuals in Contra Costa County and the surrounding areas, our lawyers handle cases involving all forms of nursing home abuse. This includes isolated and repeated instances of:
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Neglect, abandonment or elopement
- Psychological or emotional abuse
- Financial abuse
Additionally, with a background in litigation involving banking, consumer and securities fraud, we are able to represent seniors who have lost money in loan, marketing, and investment scams as well.
Signs and Symptoms of Nursing Home Abuse
It is not always easy to tell if a senior citizen has been subjected to abuse. In fact, in many cases, seniors themselves will be unclear as to whether they have been mistreated. This is normal and being uncertain about your situation should not prevent you from speaking with competent Contra Costa County nursing home abuse attorneys about your (or your loved one’s) legal rights. Some example signs and symptoms of nursing home abuse include:
Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Neglect and Abandonment
- Bed sores
- Bruising, welts or lacerations
- Pressure ulcers/bed sores
- Injuries from elopement/wandering off
- Sprains or strains
- Pain consistent with a traumatic injury
- Infections
- Physical limitations
- Anxiety or withdrawal
- Missing or underused medications
- Malnutrition or dehydration
Psychological and Emotional Abuse
- Agitation or visible stress
- Becoming easily upset or scared
- Unresponsiveness or lack of communication
- Unusual behavioral responses
- Lack of self-care
Financial Abuse and Financial Fraud
- Missing cash, checks or credit cards
- New accounts
- Unpaid bills
- Large or other unexplained withdrawals
- Changes to financial account information or estate planning documents
- Unusually-high charges for services or purchases that seem unnecessary or excessive
- Unusual purchases of gifts for caregivers or other individuals
Additional Examples of Abuse Our Contra Costa Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys are Prepared to Fight
Not enough properly trained staff is a primary cause of nursing home abuse and neglect in Contra Costa County. Elder patients who live at nursing homes have the right to a certain number of hours of care by registered nurses, and some facilities cut back on these hours because of budgetary constraints. This could result in resident patients receiving inadequate and insubstantial care from overworked nursing staff. In some residential care facilities, nurses’ aides provide the care that is supposed to be given by registered nurses. This practice puts the elders who are not receiving the attention they need in danger of neglect and nursing home abuse.
Assault, abandonment, and neglect are types of nursing home abuse that can happen to a senior citizen in a live in care facility. Hitting, restraint, confinement, over- or under-prescribed drugs and dosages are examples of abuses that can happen in any nursing home in Contra Costa County. Examples of emotional abuse that can occur in Contra Costa nursing homes are threatening, yelling, ridiculing, humiliating, ignoring, or isolating the elder.
Common Warning Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
- Sudden death
- Injuries or illness that is not explained
- Agitation or dramatic mood swings
- Unclean living conditions
- Malnutrition or sudden weight changes
Turn to Evans Law Firm, Inc. for Compassionate and Dedicated Contra Costa Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys
Elder patients in nursing homes have the right to be treated with the utmost of care: free of mistreatment, abuse and neglect. If you believe that you or a loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse, contact Evans Law Firm, Inc. for a free and confidential consultation at 415-441-8669 or email info@evanslaw.com.
