Protecting Our Seniors: Holding Marin County Assisted Living Facilities Accountable for Neglect

Making the decision to place a beloved family member in an assisted living or memory care facility is one of the most difficult choices a family can face. You entrust these facilities with the health, safety, and well-being of your loved one. Whether in San Rafael, Novato, or Mill Valley, families across Marin County expect that their loved ones will receive compassionate and competent care. When that trust is shattered by neglect or abuse, the results can be catastrophic.

At Nursing Home Law Group, we believe that our community's most vulnerable residents deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. When they are not, we are here to fight for them.

The Duty of Care in Assisted Living and Memory Care

Assisted living and memory care facilities in California have a legal and ethical duty to provide a safe environment and a specific standard of care for their residents. This is not optional. Their responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Proper Supervision: Monitoring residents, especially those with cognitive decline or who are at risk for falls.
• Fall Prevention: Assessing each resident’s fall risk and implementing a personalized care plan to prevent falls.
• Assistance with Daily Living: Providing necessary help with bathing, dressing, eating, and mobility.
• Safe Environment: Keeping the premises free from hazards like wet floors, poor lighting, and cluttered walkways.
• Adequate Staffing: Employing enough trained staff to meet the needs of all residents at all times.

When Care Fails: Understanding Neglect

When a facility fails to meet these fundamental duties, it constitutes neglect. Neglect isn't just an accident; it is a breach of trust and a failure of professional responsibility that can rise to the level of negligence or malpractice. It often occurs due to understaffing, poor training, or a corporate focus on profits over people.

One of the most frequent and devastating consequences of this neglect is a serious fall. These are not simple accidents; they are often the direct result of a facility’s failure. A dedicated Marin County assisted living neglect lawyer will investigate the root cause of falls such as:

• Transfer Falls: A resident is dropped while being improperly moved from their bed to a wheelchair or from a wheelchair to the toilet because staff lacked proper training or equipment.
• Unassisted Falls: A resident who needs help walking gets up on their own because their call light was ignored for an extended period. They may fall while trying to get to the bathroom or because they are confused and wandering without supervision.
• Environmental Falls: A resident trips over equipment left in a hallway, slips on a recently mopped floor that had no warning sign, or falls in a dimly lit room.
• Bed Falls: A high-risk resident falls out of bed because the facility failed to provide necessary bed rails or a monitoring alarm.
• Medication Errors: Caregivers provide the wrong medications or in the wrong doses.

Your Advocate in Marin County

If your loved one has suffered from a fall, unexplained injuries, bedsores, or a sudden decline in health at a facility in San Rafael, Novato, Mill Valley, or anywhere else in Marin County, you need answers. Proving that an injury was caused by a facility's breach of duty requires experience. An experienced Marin County memory care neglect lawyer can uncover the truth.

For more than 20 years, Nursing Home Law Group has been representing individuals and families impacted by elder abuse and neglect in the Marin County area. We have a long history of success in suing nursing homes and assisted living facilities throughout the State of California, holding them accountable for their actions.

We take all cases on a contingency fee, which means you pay no fees unless we win your case. All consultations and case investigations are completely free. If you suspect your loved one is a victim of Marin County neglect, call Nursing Home Law Group today for a free, confidential consultation. Let us be your voice for justice.

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