California Nursing Home Fined $100, 000 after Death of Resident

Saturday, December 16, 2017 by The Law Offices of J. Jeffrey Herman

A nursing home in California was recently fined $100K by the state after officials discovered the death of the resident was partly caused by the facility’s negligence. The resident was suffering from Alzheimer’s, a disease that affects brain function, including memory loss. The resident was walking around unsupervised causing him to fall several times. But the last instance was fatal. He sustained severe head injuries and died shortly after.

A recent report shows that staff at the facility knew about his condition. He had fallen five times at this facility but they didn’t do much to prevent future falls, even after signing a few fall prevention policies. This facility is supposed to specialize in care for individuals suffering from this condition. However, every time this patient fell he was found unsupervised.

The facility has failed families in the community who have put their loved ones under their care. They failed to provide adequate care and professionalism by putting the lives of these residents in danger. They need to implement fall prevention policies accordingly and ensure all residents are supervised.

It is not the first time a facility in California has been cited and fined for negligent care that caused the death of one of its residents. This is the maximum and most severe penalty under state law.

Many victims of elder abuse across the country can’t speak. The abusers have silenced their voices. Elder abuse is sometimes a subtle and slow process. Professionals paid to care for residents at these facilities end up abusing vulnerable seniors. Unfortunately, some authorities or the government are not doing much to correct the situation and many nursing homes are still slow to investigate and report cases of elder abuse occurring in their premises.

When a resident dies as a result of nursing home negligence, the family can file a wrongful death lawsuit against the party responsible for a loved one’s death. Sadly, many residents at these facilities die every year from injuries that could have been prevented. Ventura County wrongful death attorney J. Jeffrey Herman has experience with these types of cases.

Alzheimer’s abuse has increased significantly over the past years. These patients are easy targets Alzheimer’s abuse cases are very common since victims are not able to communicate properly or remember what happened to them. This is why many of these cases go unreported. It is important family members visit their loved ones in these facilities and monitor any changes in behavior, mood or appearance. There is also financial Alzheimer’s abuse by family members who steal their loved one’s valuable assets.

We are here for you

We are saddened by the death of residents in nursing home facilities throughout California. It is important you seek assistance from an experienced Ventura County elder abuse attorney. We are committed to taking all the required legal steps to ensure you obtain compensation for all your losses.