If you believe that a beloved family member is suffering abuse in a nursing home in Los Angeles or elsewhere in California, take your concerns at once to an experienced Los Angeles personal injury attorney. A recent case from Florida highlights once again the vulnerability of elderly nursing home residents. A young Florida woman was accused in November by the St. Petersburg Police of stealing jewelry while residents slept at the nursing home where she worked. Investigators say the 22-year-old woman stole and then pawned the jewelry for cash. She had been employed at the nursing home for less than a month. The woman was charged with one count of grand theft and four counts of theft from a person 65 years of age or older.
In California, Florida, and every other state, most nursing homes are professionally staffed and operated, but some unfortunately are not. The signs of neglect or abuse in California nursing home facilities include: dehydration or malnutrition; physical, verbal, or emotional abuse; failure to monitor patients; bed sores or ulcers caused by neglect of patients; unwarranted restraint; and negligence or malpractice and the predictable medical consequences.
Financial exploitation is also increasing, and it’s not just stealing jewelry. Checks cashed without authorization, forged signatures, stolen cash and other personal items, and deceiving or bullying a resident into signing a financial document have all happened in nursing homes in the last several years. If you discover any evidence of abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation, or if you are convinced that your elderly loved one is suffering abuse in a Los Angeles-area nursing home, contact an experienced Los Angeles personal injury attorney as quickly as possible to advocate for your family’s rights. A trustworthy personal injury attorney can fight to help your family win the justice you need and deserve, but you must take the first step and make the call.