You may make the difficult decision to place your loved one in a residential care facility if they cannot live completely alone and instead require the assistance of a nurse or care facility for some day-to-day tasks (i.e., housekeeping, grocery shopping, personal care, etc). And what may make this tough decision all the more difficult is the fear that some type of abuse may occur. Read on to discover what the different types of abuse are and how a seasoned California residential care facility abuse lawyer at Cowdrey & Jenkins LLP can help you in deciphering them.
What different types of abuse may occur in a residential care facility?
Just like any other type of care facility, abuse has been reported to occur in residential care facilities. Such abuse may be physical, emotional, sexual, or financial, abuse, or even negligence. Examples of each are as follows:
- Physical abuse:
- A nurse or facility staff member refuses to help your loved one when they have fallen.
- A nurse or facility staff member intentionally pushes your loved one down the stairs or otherwise lays a hand on them.
- Emotional abuse:
- A nurse or facility staff member intentionally places assistive devices out of your loved one’s reach as a form of punishment.
- A nurse or facility staff member insensately yells at your loved one.
- Sexual abuse:
- A nurse or facility staff member takes advantage of your loved one while tying down their wrists and ankles.
- A nurse or facility staff member ignores your loved one’s report of being sexually abused.
- Financial abuse:
- A nurse or facility staff member steals your loved one’s prize possessions.
- A nurse or facility staff member coerces your loved one from withdrawing money from their account.
- Negligence:
- A nurse or facility staff member administers the wrong dosage of your loved one’s medication.
- A nurse or facility staff member infrequently feeds or hydrates your loved one.
- A nurse or facility staff member infrequently changes your loved one out of dirty or soiled clothing.
What should I do if I suspect residential care facility abuse?
If you suspect that your loved one is being made a victim of any form of residential care facility abuse, then you must place them in a safe haven immediately. You must also report the incident to local law enforcement, California adult protective services, and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman CRISISline, among other hotlines. Ultimately, you must consider filing an elder abuse claim against the negligent nurse, staff member, or facility. And you may only have two years to take this legal action.
Without further ado, you must retain the services of a competent California elder abuse lawyer immediately. We can assure you that we are passionate about your case, so contact us today.