If you get word that nursing home nurses and staff members are acting negligently toward your loved one, you must remove them from that space immediately. Then, you must report the incident to the proper authorities. Continue reading to learn how to report negligence and how an experienced California nursing home abuse lawyer at Cowdrey & Jenkins LLP can assist you in doing so.
What is nursing home negligence?
Put simply, nursing home negligence may occur when your loved one’s healthcare needs are not being met by the nurses and other responsible staff members. An example of this is if the staff consistently fails to give your loved one their required medications; or if they consistently administer the wrong type of medication or the wrong dosage. Another example is if the staff consistently fails to escort your loved one to the bathroom or bathtub, forcing them to lay in soiled or dirty undergarments for hours on end.
Where do I report nursing home negligence in the state of California?
Oftentimes, elder adults struggle with reporting incidents of nursing home negligence. This is because they may not fully understand what is happening or they may quickly forget that the incident even occurred. This is why you must step in on your loved one’s behalf.
If you believe that your loved one is in immediate danger, you must contact your local law enforcement. They will arrive at the nursing home, dispatch an ambulance if needed, and conduct an official accident report. Also here, present witnesses may submit an oral or written testimony that recounts the sequence of events that led to your loved one’s incident.
Soon after, you may report this incident of nursing home negligence to the California Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. This program is intended to assist residents in long-term care facilities, like nursing homes, with issues related to day-to-day care, health, and safety, like issues of negligence. Namely, the California Long-Term Care Ombudsman CRISISline is 1-800-231-4024, and it is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
Then, you may get a hold of the California Department of Public Health. Notably, they have an Adult Protective Services division that aids elder adults who have been made victims of abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Their hotline number is 1-833-401-0832, which is similarly available 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
Lastly, you may want to take matters into your own hands by filing an elder abuse claim. For this, you will need to retain legal representation that will help you meet the two-year statute of limitations for bringing forward your case. All in all, this reporting and claims process may because easier with sound legal advisement from a skilled California elder abuse lawyer. Contact our firm as soon as you possibly can.