As the “Baby Boomer” generation ages, new studies are finding that elder abuse is also growing. According to the United States Census Bureau, the elderly population is California is set to double by the year 2025. That means there will be about 6.4 million elderly people living in California alone!
Today, “about 110,000 Californians live in about 1,300 licensed nursing homes and about 150,000 live in about 7,500 licensed residential care facilities for the elderly. Another 150,000 or more Californians are estimated to live in unlicensed assisted living facilities that may or may not be able to care for them properly.” – www.oag.ca.gov
Elder abuse and wrongful deaths are occurring every day, often unbeknownst to the person’s family, friends, and loved ones. Widespread health and safety problems are occurring throughout California nursing homes. Some of the more common discoveries includes cases of bed sores not being treated properly, patients being given the wrong medication, being over-medicated with psychotropic drugs, or residents being left in feces or urine for hours. Non-compliance with nurse-patient ratios and fraudulent billing were other common problems.
Recently, an elder man living in a Florida nursing home died from extended exposure to the sun. In addition to being dehydrated, police found 2nd degree burns on his body and blisters on his stomach. The man went into cardiac failure and died. The facility had been previously flagged for deficiencies but never shut down. More and more, these facilities are able to make slight adjustments and continue providing sub-standard care.
“In 2009, the California Senate Office of Oversight and Outcomes reported that 13% of all complaints to the California Office of the State Long Term Care Ombudsman involved abuse, gross neglect, or exploitation, over twice the national rate of 5%” – www.oag.ca.gov
Ignoring the growing number of elderly and the increased number of abuse reports is a crime itself! The statistics and projections are simply shocking. There is absolutely no reason this type of abuse should continue in California’s skilled nursing facilities. If you or a loved one has been hurt, neglected, abused or suffered a wrongful death in a nursing facility, please contact our experienced lawyers today. Eason & Tambornini stands by our clients and will help fight for the rights you deserve.
