Pressure ulcers, commonly known as bedsores, are a silent epidemic sweeping through California’s nursing homes and assisted living facilities. These often-preventable wounds, which range from mild skin discoloration to deep, bone-exposing craters, are not merely an inconvenience; they are a sign of neglect, a source of immense pain, and a…
When a parent or grandparent is harmed in a nursing home or assisted living facility, most families do not feel ready to “hire a lawyer.” They feel shocked, guilty, and unsure where to begin. You might be trying to make sense of a fall that never should have happened, sudden…
In California, residents of Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFEs) and skilled nursing facilities often rely entirely on the facility to arrange and provide transportation. This may be for routine medical appointments, specialist visits, therapy, social outings, or even transfers between facilities. While this might seem straightforward, improper handling…
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed a lawsuit against Sweetwater Care, a San Diego-based operator of 19 skilled nursing facilities across the state, for gross violations of elder care standards. The lawsuit, filed under California’s Unfair Competition Law, alleges that Sweetwater endangered vulnerable residents by repeatedly failing to meet…
“Cost-cutting is to be expected in any business, but nursing homes are particularly vulnerable. Staffing often represents the largest operating cost on a nursing home’s ledger. So, when firms buy a home, they cut staff. However, this business model has a fatal flaw. “Nurse availability,” Gupta and his colleagues wrote,…
Whether nursing home patients reside at a skilled nursing facility in Escondido or elsewhere in California, they now have greater protections against elder abuse and neglect. According to a recent article in the Los Angeles Times, a new California state law requires that patients receive a minimum number of hours…
When does a staffing shortage at a nursing home or assisted-living facility become grounds for an elder neglect case? According to a recent article in the San Francisco Examiner, staffing levels at skilled nursing facilities and other residences for elderly Californians “is an ever-expanding problem.” The need for support services continues to grow…