El Cajon Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect Lawyers

While the majority of the population in El Cajon is not “elderly” as defined by law, there is a large proportion of the citizenry in our city that is above 65 years of age. As the years go on and more and more people age, the need for reliable and trustworthy nursing homes and assisted living facilities close by becomes more pressing. While nursing homes are supposed to provide a high level of care to the residents that they serve, this is not always the case. In fact, nursing homes and other elder care facilities are the location of more abuse and neglect more often than anyone would like to believe.

If your loved one is living in an El Cajon nursing home and you suspect abuse or neglect, reach out to our experienced El Cajon nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys at the Southern California Nursing Home Law Group immediately for your free consultation.

If you suspect nursing home abuse, it is important that you take swift action. Nursing home abuse that continues can be extremely detrimental to a nursing home resident, even leading to death in the most severe of cases. If you think that nursing homes abuse or neglect is happening, you should:

• Call the police immediately if you suspect that the victim of the abuse or neglect is at immediate risk of bodily injury;
• Report the nursing home abuse or neglect to the nursing home supervisor;
• Keep thorough notes and documentation related to all signs of abuse;
• Report the abuse by filing a complaint with the California Department of Public Health (for nursing homes) or the California Department of Social Services (assisted living facilities) or call your local long-term care ombudsman; and
• Call an El Cajon nursing home abuse and neglect attorney who can represent you during your claim for damages and provide you with legal advice as you navigate the process.

Abuse or neglect in a nursing home, assisted living facility, home health care setting is very serious and can lead to severe adverse patient outcomes, including the need for additional medical care, injuries and infections, psychological injuries such as depression, and even death.

If a nursing home staff member is abusing a resident, they may face criminal charges as elder abuse is against the law in the state of California. While criminal charges may punish a person who engages in abuse and shed light on an unsafe nursing home, criminal charges will not yield any financial recompense to the affected victim or their family.

Civil charges, on the other hand, will not have any criminal consequences but will result in monetary damages for the victim or their family/legal representatives. Types of damages that are recoverable in an El Cajon nursing home abuse and neglect case include:

• Compensation for all medical bills incurred as a result of the abuse and neglect, including hospital stays, medications, therapy, and additional long-term care costs;
• Damages for noneconomic harm, such as the value of the abused resident’s pain, suffering, and emotional distress;
• Compensation for all legal fees incurred as a result of pursuing the claim; and
• Any other economic or noneconomic damages suffered.

If you suspect nursing home abuse, the first things that you should do are to follow the steps listed above related to documenting the nursing home abuse, reporting the nursing home abuse, and meeting with an attorney. Your attorney will advise you of what happens next.

In order to win a nursing home and abuse claim in El Cajon, you will need to prove that the nursing home breached the duty of care owed to the resident, and that the resident suffered harm as a direct result. Additionally, you must bring forth your claim within the statute of limitations, which is one year for certain claims, and two years for others. It is much safer to speak to attorney within one year of the date of the abuse or neglect.

There are few things more heartbreaking than learning that an elderly loved one is being abused or neglected in a nursing home. If you suspect nursing home abuse or neglect or have proof that it is happening, we urge you to take immediate action by calling our El Cajon nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys at the Southern California Nursing Home Law Group as soon as possible. We offer free consultations, work on a contingency fee basis, and have 20 years of experience advocating for nursing home abuse and neglect victims. Reach us today by phone or online to start the process.