Guide By – Los Angeles Nursing Home Physical Abuse Attorney

 

A Los Angeles nursing home physical abuse attorney at Cherepinskiy Law Firm will fight tirelessly to vindicate the rights of the victims of elder physical abuse, and their families.

As unthinkable as it may sound, patients and residents of skilled nursing facilities and assisted living facilities often fall victim to physical assaults and elder abuse.

 

Elder Physical Assaults and Abuse

 

Elderly patients with impaired cognitive abilities (e.g. suffering from dementia) may sometimes exhibit physically or verbally aggressive behavior towards care providers or other patients. They may swear, scream, shout, make threats, and even hit, pinch, scratch, bite and pull hair. The role of a care provider is to promptly spot such behavior, and then patiently redirect / refocus the agitated patient, thereby avoiding a physical confrontation.

Unfortunately, inattentive, careless, and overworked (see understaffing) nurses and caregivers fail to timely intervene and, as a result, aggressive patients end up committing nursing home assault and physically injuring other patients.

In some cases, when faced with an aggressive and difficult to control patient or resident, nurses and caregivers respond with physical aggression – they may push the agitated elder into a chair / bed, lock them in a room, or even use physical restraints or chemical restraints. This constitutes elder physical abuse, and it must not be tolerated. Unfortunately, due to the very nature of their cognitive limitations, the victims of nursing home assault may be unable to report such misconduct.  Physical abuse may cause a fatal outcome, leading to a wrongful death case.

 

How to See Signs of Nursing Home Assault and Elder Physical Abuse

 

Victims of elder physical abuse and nursing home assaults demonstrate the following typical post-event behaviors:

• A wish to leave the nursing home or assisted living facility;

• Unexplained and sudden negative feelings towards a staff member or another patient / resident;

• Changes in the mental state – for example: signs of atypical aggression, agitation or withdrawal; and

• Evidence of physical injury – most commonly, bruises, hematomas, fractures.

 

Preventing Elder Physical Abuse and Assaults

 

Frequent visits, research with respect to prior complaints or the California Department of Public Health (DPH) / Department of Social Services (DSS) citations, and input from other patients/residents and their families – these are some of the steps that can be taken proactively to prevent physical abuse at nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

 

Take Action! Promptly Contact a Los Angeles Nursing Home Physical Abuse Lawyer and Nursing Home Assault Attorney for a Free Consultation

 

If you suspect or believe that you or your loved one had been physically assaulted at a nursing home or an assisted living facility, in addition to contacting your local law enforcement agency, it is imperative to immediately consult with a Los Angeles nursing home physical abuse attorney. Please call or fill out an electronic contact form today to request a free consultation. Cherepinskiy Law Firm, as the Los Angeles nursing home assault lawyer, will fight zealously to make sure the wrongdoers are brought to justice, and to obtain the maximum compensation through a resolution or a trial.

This firm provides legal services for the elderly physical assault victims and their families throughout California, including Los Angeles and Orange Counties, as well as Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura Counties.

 

Sources

1. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/elder-abuse
2. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/elderabuse/definitions.html