Southern California Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog
Memory care facilities, like other assisted living facilities, are supposed to provide quality care to the residents who reside in these places. Yet, much too often, elderly residents of memory care facilities who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia sustain injuries and other forms of harm due to abuse and neglect. What do you need to know about abuse and neglect at Southern California memory care facilities? Consider the following information from our San Bernardino County nursing home neglect lawyer.
What is Dementia and Why Do Seniors Require Memory Care Assistance?
Why do seniors need to live in memory care facilities? In general, memory care facilities are intended for older adults with forms of dementia.
As the Alzheimer’s Association explains, the term “dementia” is not a specific diagnosis, but an overarching term that refers to “loss of memory and other mental abilities severe enough to interfere with daily life.”
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, and a frequent reason that seniors move into memory care facilities. At the same time, other forms of dementia also exist and can be diagnosed in residents of memory care facilities, such as dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB), frontotemporal dementia, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease dementia, vascular dementia, and more.
How Abuse and Neglect Occur at Memory Care Facilities in Southern California
Memory care facilities are a type of assisted living facility in California. As the California Department of Aging explains, “the term ‘assisted living facility’ is used to describe a variety of facilities that provide both housing and personal care,” including facilities that identify themselves as memory care facilities. Memory care facilities are generally a subset of assisted living facilities where the facility is designed to provide care to seniors with memory loss and other cognitive decline due to forms of dementia. It is important to understand that these facilities do not provide medical care — they are distinct from nursing homes in this regard. Instead, they provide assistance with activities of daily living (such as eating, grooming, and bathing), and employees can administer certain medications. Physicians and nurses are not on staff to provide forms of medical care.
However, like in nursing homes, residents of memory care facilities can suffer serious and fatal harm due to abuse and neglect. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, adults with forms of dementia that cause memory and cognitive issues are at particular risk of abuse and neglect. Common examples of abuse and neglect that result in injuries at memory care facilities, for which family members should be on the lookout, include but are not limited to:
- Bed sores caused by a lack of regular care and movement, especially in residents who have mobility issues;
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), bone fractures, sprains, strains, and other injuries common in falls due to a lack of assistance with activities of daily living;
- Malnutrition and dehydration linked to a lack of assistance with eating;
- Unkempt appearance, dirty living area, or soiled clothing due to lack of assistance with ADLs;
- Depression, fear, and other signs of psychological abuse from employees; and
- Physical injuries of any type that may indicate physical or sexual abuse, which memory care facility residents can often be subjected to.
Contact Our San Bernardino County Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorneys Today
Do you have concerns about an injury your elderly loved one suffered in a Southern California memory care facility? One of the experienced San Bernardino County elder neglect lawyers can speak with you today about your case. Contact the Walton Law Firm for more information.
See Related Blog Posts:
Why Cognitive Impairment Makes Older Adults More Vulnerable to Abuse
Preventing Repeat Mistreatment Among Nursing Home Abuse Victims
