It is an unfortunate truth that hospital patients are made victims of abuse more often than you may realize. This is especially the case for vulnerable patients like the elderly. Follow along to find out how possible it is for your loved one to be experiencing abuse and how a proficient California hospital elder abuse lawyer at Cowdrey & Jenkins LLP can help you take legal action.
Is it possible for hospital abuse to occur in the state of California?
Doctors, nurses, or other healthcare providers may abuse their vulnerable, elder patients. This is because they know this patient population may have difficulty with fighting back, reporting the incident, or otherwise comprehending that what is happening is wrong.
Such abuse may be in the form of physical, psychological, sexual, or financial abuse, along with neglect. Regardless, each form causes unreasonable suffering, misery, or harm to these patients. Examples of each form include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Physical abuse: a doctor, nurse, or healthcare provider intentionally refuses to provide physical care to your loved one.
- Psychological abuse: a doctor, nurse, or healthcare provider mocks your loved one when they are in a vulnerable state.
- Sexual abuse: a doctor, nurse, or healthcare provider sexually assaults your loved one when they are unconsenting and/or unconscious.
- Financial abuse: a doctor, nurse, or healthcare provider steals your loved one’s cash or otherwise personal belongings when they are unconscious.
- Neglect: a doctor, nurse, or healthcare provider intentionally or unintentionally withholds necessary food, hygienic care, or checkups from your loved one.
Should I take legal action against a hospital?
If your loved one is abused, the implications may be major. For one, their injuries and damages may call for further hospitalization. The problem with this is that you may no longer trust them to be in the care of hospital staff, even at a different institution, after what they just went through. For guidance on this, you may want to consult with the Long-Term Care Ombudsman CRISISline or the California Department of Social Services.
Once you ensure that your loved one is safe, then you may turn your attention to an elder abuse claim. Sometimes, taking legal action against an abusive doctor, nurse, healthcare provider, or healthcare institution is the only way to recoup damages and overall achieve justice.
When determining to go down this legal route, you must understand that there is a statute of limitations for this claim. In California, it is generally two years from the date of your loved one’s incident. So, if you are ready and willing to kickstart your elder abuse claim, then you must employ a talented California elder abuse lawyer today. We look forward to working alongside you.