Los Angeles Nursing Home Abuse Attorney
No family should ever have to suffer the terrible crime of nursing home abuse or neglect. Sadly, statistics show that there are thousands of senior citizens currently living in abusive, violent, or dangerous conditions at nursing homes throughout the country. If you believe that your elderly loved one has suffered abuse or neglect while in the care of a nursing home or similar facility in Los Angeles, California, Milanfar Law Firm, PC can help. We will do everything we can to deliver justice to a nursing home abuse victim.
What Is Nursing Home Abuse?
All nursing homes must obey state and federal laws that are in place to protect vulnerable elders. They must respect the Resident’s Bill of Rights, for example, which grants every elderly person residing in a residential care facility the right to be treated with dignity, kindness, and respect. It also protects them from physical abuse, mental abuse, neglect, exploitation, and endangerment.
Unfortunately, not all nursing homes care about the safety and well-being of residents. This results in many residents suffering abuse, mistreatment, and neglect. Nursing home abuse means intentionally causing harm to a resident, such as by hitting a victim or knowingly inflicting emotional distress. Neglect is the failure to reasonably ensure a resident’s physical, mental and psychosocial well-being. Both are unthinkable crimes that can have devastating consequences.
What Are the Four Types of Elder Abuse?
Although there are almost endless ways in which a perpetrator can harm or take advantage of senior citizens, there are four main types of abuse involved in most nursing home abuse lawsuits in California. As the family member of someone who resides in a nursing home in Los Angeles, look out for the following types of abuse:
- Physical. Broken bones, bruises, lacerations, burns, head injuries, or soft-tissue injuries due to a perpetrator intentionally beating or physically harming a victim. Other signs can be bedsores, pressure ulcers, weight loss over medication, failure to bathe, failure to administer medication.
- Psychological. Emotional distress, trauma, anxiety, depression, humiliation, mental anguish, or suicidal thoughts from nonphysical forms of abuse, such as verbal abuse or isolation.
- Sexual. Physical injuries, emotional harm, sexually transmitted diseases, or an overall decline in mental or physical health from sexual assault or violence.
- Financial. Losses to assets, financial ruin or harm to an estate due to the financial exploitation of a victim by a perpetrator, such as through scams, coercion or fraud.
Red flags that could signal nursing home abuse or neglect include unexplained injuries, changes in your loved one’s personality or behaviors, fear of a certain caregiver or staff member, or withdrawal from favorite hobbies and social activities. If you suspect nursing home abuse, act immediately to protect your loved one and bring the facility to justice.
Legal Recourse for Nursing Home Abuse in Los Angeles
First, make sure your loved one receives medical care and is in a safe location. Then, report a case of nursing home abuse to the facility and local law enforcement. The police can investigate the nursing home and possibly protect other elders who are also suffering. Next, contact an attorney to discuss your family’s legal rights. While criminal charges against an abuser can bring one type of justice, it will not provide financial compensation for the victim’s losses. Only a civil lawsuit can pay for medical expenses and emotional damage.
We Are a Premier Nursing Home Abuse Law Firm in LA | Request a Free Consultation Today
At Milanfar Law Firm, PC, we are passionate about protecting the rights of the vulnerable elderly in our community. Attorney Shahrad Milanfar is a skilled and experienced trial lawyer and mediator who can tell your loved one’s story in a real and human way for optimal results. Our mission is always to achieve the results that our clients need while providing the highest level of service to our clients and our community.
Discuss a potential nursing home abuse lawsuit with a compassionate attorney in Los Angeles today. Call us at (925) 433-6003 or request a free case review using our online intake form.