San Diego Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Recognizing Nursing Home Abuse in San Diego, CA

Nursing facility administrators, nurses, and other staff members have a legal obligation to provide each nursing home resident with a certain standard of care. When they fail to do so, they can be held liable for their abusive and negligent actions. 

Many nursing home residents in San Diego, California, are physically or mentally unable to defend themselves. The personal injury attorneys at Harker Law Firm are proud to advocate for and lend a voice to nursing home abuse and neglect victims. 

So is it abuse or neglect? There are various types of nursing home elder abuse, including the following.

Nursing home neglect

Nursing home elder neglect occurs when caretakers fail to provide for a resident’s basic needs. This can involve providing a safe environment, nutrition, hydration, proper hygiene, and social interaction. Neglect may be either intentional or unintentional, but it is unacceptable regardless of the details. Negligent nursing home center staff members should be held accountable for their actions. 

Signs that your loved one is being neglected include bedsores, unkempt appearance, a sudden fluctuation in weight, unclean bedding or clothing, a failure to report injuries, and insufficient exercise or social activities. If you suspect that your family member is suffering from nursing home negligence in a San Diego residential care center, contact a nursing home abuse lawyer today. 

Physical abuse

Victims of physical nursing home abuse in California may not have the mental capacity to report the event, or they may be afraid of the repercussions of doing so. Abusive nursing facility staff members may threaten further harm for reporting acts of abuse. 

Since your loved ones may be unable to speak up and defend themselves, it’s essential for family members to be alert to signs of abuse. 

Be alert to the following warning signs of physical abuse:

• Pressure marks from restraints
• Sprains
• Bruises
• Cuts
• Flinching or change of behavior
• Signs of overmedication

You may know your family member’s personality and typical behavior better than anyone else. So watch for sudden changes in behavior when certain staff members enter the room; this could be a sign your loved one is afraid of that person. If nursing care center staff members try and prevent you from seeing your loved one, this could be another warning sign of abuse. 

If you suspect an elderly or dependent adult is being physically abused in a San Diego, California, nursing center, make sure to contact a nursing home abuse attorney at our local office immediately. 

Financial abuse

Nursing home residents are at high risk of being financially exploited. Some might not think of theft as a form of abuse, but it most definitely is. 

Our San Diego-based law firm has handled many financial abuse cases such as the following:

• Theft of possessions: Staff members may take advantage of California nursing center residents by stealing their personal belongings. If you notice any of your family member’s valuables missing, he or she could be a victim of financial abuse.
• Coercion or deception: A caregiver may use his or her position, and knowledge of a resident’s financial situation, to take advantage of the situation by gaining your loved one’s trust to obtain bank information, social security numbers, or credit card numbers. In some cases, deceitful staff members have even coerced residents into being given power of attorney or made the beneficiary of a will. 
• Fraud: The administrators of a nursing care center will often have a file containing some of your loved one’s financial information. This might include the resident’s assets, a debit card, banking information, and power of attorney. Dishonest nursing home staff members have used this type of information to make purchases, open false accounts, and transfer money. 

If you know or suspect that your loved one is being abused financially, contact a personal injury lawyer at Harker Injury Law today. The members of our San Diego, CA, law firm are pained when we hear about the elderly being financially abused where they should be protected. 

Our San Diego nursing home abuse attorneys will fight to hold the guilty parties liable for their actions. Fill out our contact form to schedule a callback with us. 

Emotional abuse

Psychological and emotional abuse involves verbal or non-verbal behavior that may inflict fear, distress, or anguish on a resident. 

This horrendous type of abuse can involve such things as:

• Ridicule
• Shaming 
• Name-calling
• Humiliation
• Isolation
• Threats

A California nursing center resident may suffer emotional abuse in addition to other forms of abuse and neglect. For instance, nursing care residents may be pressured to overlook physical abuse —  for fear they won’t be fed or groomed. This horrible form of elder abuse should never be tolerated in nursing homes.

If you know or suspect that a resident is being emotionally abused in a San Diego nursing home, contact a local personal injury attorney today. The nursing home abuse lawyers at Harker Injury Law will fight for the rights of your loved one and make sure that the guilty parties are held liable for their deplorable actions. 

We don’t have a cold, empty attorney-client relationship with the people we help. Rather, we treat our clients with care and respect like we would our own family. Contact us today to schedule a free case evaluation. 

Sexual abuse

Sexual predators may take advantage of nursing home residents who are vulnerable and dependent on others to care for them. Especially at risk might be those with dementia or others who are mentally incapacitated. This type of abuse is defined as forced or unwanted sexual interaction of any kind. The sexual abuse could come from a staff member, another resident, or a visitor. 

Examples of sexual abuse of the elderly include unwanted touching, groping, or sexual intercourse. Any sexual act with a senior who doesn’t have his or her complete mental faculties or is unable to speak may be considered elder abuse since the person is unable to give consent. 

Our law firm is outraged to hear of sexual abuse in nursing homes in San Diego, El Cajon, and other parts of California. If you know or suspect that your loved one has been sexually abused in a care facility, contact the authorities immediately.

You should also contact a nursing home abuse lawyer from Harker Injury Law as soon as you can. There is no time to lose on justice! We will fight to hold assisted living facilities liable for the suffering they are allowing their residents to endure. 

How a San Diego Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Can Help

Our nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys aggressively defend the legal rights of the elderly in San Diego, California. 

After taking on your case, we will immediately start investigating the nursing home elder abuse or neglect claim. Our attorneys can contact the authorities — if you have yet to do so — and inform them of the abuse allegations. 

Our attorneys will speak to witnesses, gather evidence, and immediately begin building a solid case on behalf of you and your loved one. We will inform the San Diego nursing home facility of the allegations against them so they can respond to the claim. 

Often, facilities try to settle out of court. Either way, we will handle all negotiations, inform you of any settlement offers, and take the case to trial if you decide it is necessary. 

Our attorneys may pursue both economic and non-economic damages, to help cover:

• Ambulance rides
• Surgeries
• Hospital visits
• Doctors appointments
• Physical therapy
• Future medical costs
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment
• Wrongful death

Contact a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Today

No people should ever be forced to live with people who mistreat them. The elderly should be treated with compassion, dignity, and respect. 

Don’t hesitate to contact our law firm today if your loved one has been a victim of nursing home negligence, elder abuse, or wrongful death in San Diego, California. The safety of your loved one is the primary concern of our San Diego nursing home neglect attorneys.

During your first meeting with our law firm, an attorney will sit down with you and patiently listen as you discuss the details of your claim with us. We also value open and honest communication and will regularly update you as your case develops. Our clients’ privacy is of top priority to us, and all the information that you provide to us will be kept strictly confidential. 

Schedule a free case consultation with a nursing home abuse attorney from Harker Injury Law by calling 760-533-6979, or filling out the online contact form. Our fee is contingent on the money we get for you, which means you pay absolutely nothing out of pocket. We only get paid after you receive your settlement.