ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
Nurse Receives Award For Reporting Nursing Home Abuse
The San Mateo County and California nursing home abuse attorneys at Evans Law Firm Inc. often share in this column stories of nursing home abuse, including incidences of overmedication or improper medication of patients as a form of abuse. A recent $5.2 million jury verdict in an overmedication case illustrates just how serious this wrongdoing can be. Our attorneys represent elderly victims of nursing home abuse in San Mateo County and throughout California and believe nursing homes need to be held accountable for incidences of abuse within their premises. If you or a loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse in San Mateo County or elsewhere in California call the Evans Law Firm today at (415)441-8669, and we may be able to help.
Overmedication in Nursing Homes
In the recently reported verdict, a jury awarded $5.2 million to a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) who reported alleged abuse in the home where she had worked. The LPN was fired by the nursing home because she reportedly refused to follow orders from the home’s Director of Nursing to “double dose” agitated residents with anti-anxiety medications. She also refused, according to reports, to delete records of the residents’ suspicious injuries. Ultimately, the LPN was awarded a verdict that included past wages and benefits and $5 million in punitive damages against the nursing home chain where she had worked. Counsel for the nursing home chain that owned and operated the facility continue to “dispute and deny” the allegations following the verdict.
Evans Law Firm was not involved in this case in any way. Our San Mateo County nursing home abuse attorneys followed the case, however, because it is an example of abuse that may be inflicted on elderly nursing home residents. Overmedication, or the use of inappropriate drugs, is a very serious problem and form of elder abuse in nursing homes. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for example, has warned that antipsychotic medications should not be used on elderly people with dementia. Prescribing such drugs to the elderly can hasten death. Yet, medical experts and federal regulators say antipsychotic drugs are being used to at an alarming rate by nursing homes to chemically restrain hard to handle seniors. Antipsychotic medication may totally alter the personality of the patient. Patients may go from being lively and alert to being listless and unaware of their surroundings. Family members often report that loved ones are given medications that they did not consent to. If you suspect overmedication or notice alarming personality changes in your loved one in a nursing home, seek help immediately.
Contact Us
If you or a loved one has suffered from nursing home abuse in San Mateo County or any California county, contact San Mateo County and California nursing home abuse attorney Ingrid Evans and the other attorneys at the Evans Law Firm at (415) 441-8669, or by email at <a href=”mailto:info@evanslaw.com”>info@evanslaw.com</a>. Our attorneys have wide experience with cases of nursing home abuse. We can help guide your case through a jury trial or toward an equitable settlement. We handle cases involving physical and financial elder abuse, qui tam and whistleblower law, nursing home abuse, whole life insurance and universal life insurance, and indexed, variable, and fixed annuities.
