ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
Neglect Of Patients In End Of Life Care
Hospice Patients Neglected And Abused
How To Find Information On Hospice Agencies
When a patient or a patient’s family elects hospice care for a dying senior, the hospice agency or program is responsible for providing all services related to the patient’s terminal illness and related conditions, including ensuring the patient’s rights are respected. Sadly, hospice patients are often neglected or abused in the final weeks of their life. Evans Law Firm, Inc. represents hospice patients neglected or abandoned with untreated pressure wounds/bed sores and infections that turn fatal. Parties responsible for such abuse and neglect are liable for their actions under California Law. See Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code §§ 15610.07 (definition of abuse), 15610.57 (definition of neglect), and 15610.63 (definition of physical abuse). The parties responsible for the condition and fatality should be held accountable. If you have a loved one who has suffered from abuse or neglect in a hospice program in Los Angeles or elsewhere throughout California, call us today at (415)441-8669 or TOLL FREE 1-888-80EVANS (888-503-8267).
Qualification For Hospice Care
To qualify for hospice care, a hospice doctor and a patient’s treating doctor must certify that the patient is terminally ill, meaning they have a life expectancy of 6 months or less. When a patient enters hospice care, they will receive comfort care (palliative care) instead of care to cure the patient’s illness. The patient or, if he or she is unable to consent, the patient’s agent under an Advanced Health Care Directive, must sign a statement choosing hospice care instead of other benefits Medicare covers to treat your terminal illness and related conditions. Our litigators have seen cases where the appointed agent may abuse the appointment to admit an older victim into hospice where the victim does not comprehend what is happening to him or her. For this reason, always make sure your appointed agent is a trusted loved one or friend; never give a caregiver a financial or health care power of attorney.
Quality-Of-Care Failures
Hospice quality-of-care failures ran the gamut from mismanaged medications to neglected wounds that became infested with maggots. Nurses and home health aides may miss scheduled services or, due to understaffing, be unable to respond to patients in pain. Hospices are regulated far less rigorously than other healthcare providers. As the hospice industry booms, this is an increasing danger for patients. In California, the number of hospices has quadrupled over the last decade as end-of-life care became a multibillion-dollar business dominated by profit-driven operators according to a recent story in the Los Angles Times. Before admitting a loved one to a hospice program, check the hospice program’s record of complaints and citations with the California Department of Public Health under “Hospice Facility” here: Home (ca.gov). You can also check the hospice facility’s record under Provider Type “Hospice care” with Medicare here: Find Healthcare Providers: Compare Care Near You | Medicare.
Contact Us
If you have a loved one who has suffered any kind of abuse or neglect in a hospice program, call us at Evans Law Firm, Inc. right away. You can reach Ingrid M. Evans at (415) 441-8669, or by email at info@evanslaw.com or TOLL FREE 1-888-80EVANS (888-503-8267). Ingrid knows how to investigate cases of physical (and financial) elder abuse and pursues all remedies available under California law which include holding supervisors and owners responsible for neglect and abuse of institutionalized patients. Awards may include attorneys’ fees and expenses you’ve incurred in bringing your case.
