Since a significant part of my law practice involves cases of abused and neglected seniors in nursing home, I get asked frequently if I can recommend a good nursing home, or at least point out the bad ones. That is, of course, impossible because of the sheer number of nursing…
Last week President Bush signed into law the Safety of Seniors Act, a bill dedicated to preventing injuries of the elderly inside the home. According to the CDC, one in every three Americans over 65 will suffer a fall their home, and nearly a third of those will require medical…
A nursing home in Riverside County was hit with a $100,000 fine after the state deemed the death of an 87-year-old woman, who died of acute peritonitis in June 2006, was due to neglect. The home was also issued a AA citation from the California Department of Public Health, the…
Studies show that almost 50% of California nursing homes do not meet federal standards in preventing pressure ulcers. The problems are so widespread that the treatment of these ulcers – also called bed sores – will no longer be covered by Medicare if the sore was acquired after admission into…
People frequently ask for a recommendation to a “good” nursing or residential care facility. It’s a question that is difficult to answer, other than to state that the style of the building or the cost of the care is rarely a good indicator of quality of care. I have sued…
Nursing homes around the country are now requiring prospective residents to agree to binding arbitration before admittance into a home. By signing an agreement to arbitrate, nursing home residents are forever giving up any rights to seek compensation in a court of law for harm caused by caregivers who abuse…
This list contains the issuance of citations to Southern California nursing facilities by the California Department of Public Health over the last six months. All the citations listed are issued for reasons related to patient care. For verification of the citation, please contact the local department office or Walton Law…
The quality of care provided by California nursing homes has declined by almost every measure since the implementation of a new Medi-Cal rate system that increased funding the nursing facilities according to a new study by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Meanwhile, nursing home complaints and the issuance…
Budget cuts proposed by Governor Schwarzenegger could cripple California’s oversight of Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly. Further damage to the already struggling oversight program could put thousands of RCFE residents at risk. According the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR), the proposed cuts come at a time when…
The signs and symptoms of a brain injury are not always as clear as you might think. Most patients who suffer a traumatic brain injury can walk, talk, and give the appearance of a normally functioning person. There are, however, symptoms that point to brain trauma. The month of March…