Say, for instance, that your loved one requires assistance in navigating their day-to-day routines. Though, this requirement is not to the extent of needing hospital care. And, you do not want them to spend the majority of their time isolated in their home. This is where you may decide to place your loved one in a nursing home. You will want to ensure that this facility is safe for your loved one to enter. Read on to discover whether your loved one’s nursing home is safe and how a seasoned California nursing home abuse lawyer at Cowdrey & Jenkins LLP can help you in determining this.
How do I know if my loved one’s nursing home is safe?
It may be difficult for your loved one to express that they are being abused, neglected, or otherwise treated poorly in their nursing home. This is why you must step up to your role as their protector. To do so, you must ask yourself the following questions:
- Have I ever spotted my loved one walking the nursing home premises unsupervised?
- Has my loved one ever complained about being hungry or thirsty?
- Has my loved one ever complained about personal possessions going missing?
- Has my loved one ever gotten food poisoning?
- Does my loved one frequently have bedsores?
- Does my loved one frequently have soiled bedsheets or undergarments?
- Does my loved one frequently wear dirty clothes?
- Does my loved one appear unbathed?
- Does my loved one appear severely underweight?
- Does my loved one appear severely overmedicated?
- Does my loved one have unexplainable cuts, bruises, or physical injuries?
- Does my loved one express a changed disposition or fear around the nursing home staff?
What should I do if my loved one is in danger?
If the answer to any of the above questions is “yes,” then you must immediately remove your loved one from their nursing home facility. You may transfer them to another nursing home, an assisted living facility, a memory care facility, a residential care facility, or otherwise; or, you may temporarily care for them at home.
Once you ensure that your loved one is safe, you must report the incident of abuse. You may report this to the nursing home management, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman CRISISline, and even the California Department of Public Health.
Lastly, you must consider your options for filing an elder abuse claim against the negligent nursing home. You must be mindful of California’s statute of limitations, which is typically two years from the date of your loved one’s incident of abuse.
With all that being said, we recommend that you consult with a competent California elder abuse lawyer as soon as possible. Schedule your initial consultation with us today.