ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER

How Social Media Can Impact Abuse in Nursing Homes

Nursing Home Abuse

Elder abuse is a very serious issue right now, especially as it relates to nursing home abuse. Nursing home abuse encompasses physical, sexual, financial and emotional abuse, and one case can look very different from the next. Exploitation of nursing home residents has recently taken another nasty turn – toward social media, threatening the privacy of institutionalized seniors. We at Evans Law Firm have years of experience combatting the exploitation of seniors and follow this disturbing trend closely. If you or someone you know is a victim of nursing home abuse or has experienced a nursing home abuse privacy issue, call Evans Law Firm, Inc today at 415-441-8669.

The Impact of Introduction of Technology and Social Media

Unauthorized photographs of nursing home residents appeared on social media in troubling numbers last year. At least 18 nursing homes and other similar homes were found to have posted pictures on social media platforms of residents that were not authorized. Some of these pictures include residents partially or fully naked, being helped with urination and/or defecation, and even one instance where an employee shared a video of two residents in the middle of an intimate act.

The Bottom Line

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which oversees nursing homes, told state health departments last summer that they should begin checking to make sure that all nursing homes have policies prohibiting staff from taking demeaning photos of residents. CMS also called on state officials to quickly investigate such complaints and report offending workers to licensing agencies for possible discipline. State health departments help enforce nursing home rules for the federal government. We at Evans Law Firm applaud the CMS initiative and hope the states, including our own State of California, follow the CMS call.

Contact Us

If you or a loved one been the victim of nursing home abuse in Santa Clara County, or in any California county, contact the Evans Law Firm nursing home abuse attorneys at (415) 441-8669, or by email at info@evanslaw.com. Our attorneys have experience with complex financial contracts and large insurance companies. 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.