Articles Posted in Assisted Living Facilities

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Does your elderly parent have dementia? Many California residents live with dementia, and their children and family members worry about what kind of care is best for a dementia patient. A recent article in U-T San Diego explained the different options for dementia care. According to Dr. Diane Darby Beach, the Director of Education and Outreach for the Vista Gardens Memory Care Community, there are basically three different kinds of providers who offer long-term care to patients suffering from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia: home care, assisted living, and adult day care.

Dementia%20Woman%20Credit.jpgAre some of these options better than others? Depending on your unique situation, there are many factors to consider when deciding what kind of care is best for someone who suffers from dementia. If you have questions or concerns about the level of care your elderly loved one has received or is currently receiving, it’s a good idea to contact an experienced California nursing home abuse lawyer. At the Walton Law Firm, we have years of experience dealing with elder law issues and can answer your questions today.

Options for Dementia Care

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Over the past few weeks, nursing home abuse and neglect in California has made local and national news. These stories beg the question: are assisted living facilities safe in California? Elder advocates might argue that reforms are in the works, but facilities across the state continue to receive fines and citations. A number of reports related to nursing home abuse and neglect have appeared in U-T San Diego in September. In response to those features, an article written by the president of the California Assisted Living Association (CALA) emphasized the “compassionate, competent care” that many elderly persons do receive in assisted living homes.

Smiling%20Old%20Man%20Credit.jpgWhile many assisted living facilities in California may be providing appropriate care and abiding by the law, many of these homes continue to expose their residents to serious cases of abuse and neglect. If you have an elderly loved one who resides in a nursing facility, it’s important to make sure that your loved one receives the best care possible. If you’re concerned about nursing home abuse or neglect, don’t hesitate to contact an experienced nursing home abuse attorney today.

Do Most Assisted Living Facilities Get it Right?

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With investigative help from UT San Diego, the Center for Health Reporting of the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF) conducted a study of nursing home deaths and nursing home abuse in San Diego County. Early this month, UT San Diego reported the shocking system failures when it comes to assisted living care in our state.

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Looking at the statistics from assisted living homes is an eye opener. Since 2008 alone, “at least 27 San Diego County seniors have died from injuries and neglect suffered in the facilities,” according to UT San Diego. These institutions are responsible for “ensuring that seniors can live in affordable, homelike settings rather than in expensive, institutional nursing facilities,” said UT San Diego.

If you have an elderly parent who currently resides in an assisted living facility or nursing home, you want to make sure that they’re receiving the best possible care. If you suspect that your loved one may be experiencing nursing home abuse and neglect, it’s never too early to contact an experienced elder justice advocate. The attorneys at the Walton Law Firm can answer your questions today.

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In mid-August, Families for Better Care released its first “Nursing Home Report Card,” which is part of a “project that analyzes, compares, and ranks states’ nursing home quality.” On the California report card, our state only earned a “C” grade, coming in at 28th place in the United States. In fact, the report card stated that “rampant problems plague California nursing homes as 9 out of 10 facilities cited a deficiency.”

What is Families for Better Care? According to its website, Families for Better Care is “a nonprofit citizen advocacy group dedicated to creating public awareness of the conditions in our nation’s nursing home and other long-term care setting and developing effective solutions for improving quality of life and care.” The non-profit group is located in Florida, but its aim is to expose and improve nursing care across the country.

When Families for Better Care released the report card, California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR) emphasized that our state only earned an “average score” on the whole, and in fact earned “D’s in registered nursing hours, deficiencies, and inspections.” What does this mean for your elderly loved ones? In short, many family members may not be receiving the care they need at a nursing home or assisted-living facility. The nursing home abuse attorneys at the Walton Law Firm have experience with these issues and can speak to you today.

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It’s not an area of care that we typically associate with nursing homes, but is your loved one getting access to sufficient dental care? Dental hygiene in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities is no small matter. Indeed, poor dental care can lead to serious health problems. When nursing centers don’t attend to patients’ dental hygiene, they could be committing nursing home abuse or nursing home neglect.

What should you look for? From dusty toothbrushes to severe headaches, a recent article in the New York Times discussed the ways in which nursing homes often neglect oral care for their residents. If you suspect that your elderly loved one is suffering from nursing home abuse or neglect, it’s important to have an advocate on your side. The experienced nursing home abuse attorneys at the Walton Law Firm can discuss your case with you today.

Dental%20Assistant.jpgLimited Dental Care Training and Attention

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Earlier this summer, National Public Radio (NPR) aired a news story about the “Green House Project,” urging nursing homes to “move over” since “there’s something different” in town. Over the past ten years, according to NPR, more than 140 alternative nonprofit nursing homes have been built across the U.S. in 24 different states. While most Americans dread the possibility of nursing home living, the Green House Project offers something different. And in recent months, California finally “ushered in a new era of nursing home care with the opening of the state’s first certified Green House homes at Mt. San Antonio Gardens,” according to a press release in the Green House Project Blog.

With California on board for alternative nursing home support, patients across our state could begin to see new options for residential care. If you have questions about nursing home care in California, don’t hesitate to speak to an experienced elder justice advocate today.

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What is the Green House Project?

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A recent article in UT San Diego broke the news that Palomar Health will be closing its Escondido nursing home in October 2013. As a result, more than 80 residents will be displaced, and 130 staff members will face layoffs. What led to the decision? According to an official at the health system, Medi-Cal funding cuts and “coming off a difficult fiscal year” are two major factors that are forcing the facility to close its doors in just a few months.

News of this nursing home closure raises concerns about nursing facility overcrowding and affordability in the southern California area. If you have questions about nursing homes in our area or are concerned that your loved one is suffering nursing home neglect or abuse, an experienced injury attorney can discuss your claim with you today.

Nursing%20Home.jpgPalomar Continuing Care Center—Facility Details

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State regulators in Miami, Florida ordered an assisted living facility to shut down after caregivers tied an elderly woman to her wheelchair. The Miami Herald reported that the frail woman was forced to sit on a life-threatening wound after being bound to the wheelchair. The San Martin De Porras assisted living facility will have to pay $20,000 in fines and it will have to close following an order from the state Agency for Health Care Administration.

While this facility closure occurred in Florida, it has relevance for residents of California nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The nursing home abuse in Miami may have happened across the country, but the problems in this facility could happen anywhere. If you are concerned that a loved one may be experiencing nursing home abuse or neglect, it’s important to speak to an experienced nursing home abuse attorney to discuss your options.

Details of the Assisted Living Facility Closure

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Back in 2011, a Miami Herald investigation uncovered evidence of elder abuse and neglect in assisted living facilities across the state of Florida. Since then, politicians have been working to pass legislation to reform assisted living facilities in Florida. However, according to an article in the Miami Herald, the bill failed to pass again on the last day of the legislative session in Florida.

While this legislation (or the lack of it) would primarily affect residents in Florida, the state’s concerns about abuse and neglect in assisted living facilities are just as relevant here in California. Do you have a loved one who is currently in an assisted living facility? If you’re concerned about abuse and neglect in nursing homes or assisted living facilities in southern California, contact an experienced nursing home abuse lawyer today to discuss your case.

History of the Legislation

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Iris Ramirez owns four residential care facilities for the elderly in San Diego called Ambassador Senior Retreat. Those facilities, like all licensed RCFE facilities in California, are overseen by the California Department of Social Services – Community Care Licensing (CCL). That means licenses can only be issued by CCL, inspections are made by CCL, and in the event of a complaint, investigations are performed by CCL. In short, CCL is the regulatory agency that gives residents of these facilities (and their families) the assurance that laws will be followed, regulations enforced, and that proper care will be provided.

Ramirez apparently didn’t want to take any chances with CCL investigators, and, according to news accounts, offered bribes to the very people charged with overseeing her assisted living facilities. The investigators have been identified as Conchita Valero, Lydia Williams and Christina Nepomuceno.

A search warrant executed this month alleges that Ramirez purchased airline tickets for Valero and Williams to travel to the Philippines for a vacation, and also gave Valero cash in the sum of $2,800. In exchange for the tickets and the cash, the CCL employees fast-tracked Ramirez’s licenses to operate her facilities. Apparently you don’t need brains to operate a residential care facility. According to the news accounts, Ramirez told investigators that she was “probably” getting preferential treatment because of the bribes.

In addition to Ramirez, the investigation has focused on Selma Teer, the owner of the Eternal Sunshine Care assisted living facility on Quince Street in San Diego. According to court documents, Teer wanted to open another facility, and offered investigator Nepomuceno a $3,000.00 bribe to expedite the process. Like Ramirez, Teer made no effort to conceal her expectation of a quid-pro-quo. When Nepomuceno went on medical leave and did not return Teer’s calls, Teer left her a rather incriminating message on Nepomuceno’s state-issued cell phone:

“(You are) not returning my call. You are not paying my money back. You want a bribe for my application for my license. You lied. You are such a liar. You want a bribe, do your job. You don’t do your job; you give me my money back.”

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