Types of Nursing Home Neglect in Los Angeles
The National Center on Elder Abuse recognizes seven different types of elder abuse and negligence, routinely relied upon by lawyers dealing with such cases. The different kinds include::
- Physical Abuse. This is defined as using some kind of physical force on a senior that can reasonably be expected to cause bodily accident or injury, physical pain, or ongoing impairment. This may include striking the individual with the hands or with an object, as well as force-feeding, using physical restraints, or inappropriate use of drugs.
- Sexual Abuse. Defined as having non-consensual sexual contact with an elder. This includes unwanted touching, coerced nudity, sexual assault, sodomy, intercourse, or photographing of the individual while nude.
- Emotional or Psychological Abuse. Defined as inflicting pain, anguish, or distress by nonverbal or verbal means. Includes insulting, engaging in verbal assaults, humiliating or threatening the elder, or intimidation, harassment, and imposed isolation.
- Neglect. Defined as failing or refusing the elder with the care they need for a comfortable life, as well as failing to provide for home healthcare services or essential care to the patient.
- Abandonment. Defined as desertion of the elder by someone responsible for caring for the individual or who has custody over them.
- Financial Abuse. This is defined as improperly or illegally using the elder’s assets, monetary funds, or other property. Financial abuse can include forging their signature, stealing money, signing their checks, coercing the elder to sign a document they don’t understand, stealing their possessions, and abusing the benefits of being their guardian, conservator, or power of attorney.
- Self-Neglect. Defined by the elder engaging in behaviors that threaten their personal health or safety. This can include the elder refusing or failing to provide themselves with adequate food, water, clothing, shelter, hygiene, medications, and safety precautions. This excludes situations where the person makes voluntary decisions because of a personal choice to do things that threaten their health.
If a loved one or a member of your family has suffered an accident, injury, or emotional and psychological damage due to nursing home negligence, get in touch with our Los Angeles nursing home negligence attorneys immediately for a law firm that can help.