Backlog of nursing homes complaints in Los Angeles lead to elder neglect

April 08, 2014

Backlog of nursing homes complaints in Los Angeles lead to elder neglect

Article provided by The Figari Law Firm
Visit us at http://www.elderabuseprotection.com

It was recently revealed that many elders and senior citizens in California are getting the short end of the stick when it comes to county investigations of allegations of neglect and abuse. Last month, the Sacramental Bee reported that public health officials in Los Angeles County have been instructing their inspectors to close cases of alleged health and safety complaints in nursing homes without actually conducting investigations.

Since the summer of 2012, county supervisors have been promoting the "Complaint Workload Clean Up Project" in an effort to reduce the backlog of nursing home complaints in the county. State health officials revealed that the backlog involves more than 9,000 complaints, some of which date back to 2001. According to documents unearthed in a state and federal agency investigation into the matter, Los Angeles County investigators were instructed to:
-Close all anonymously submitted complaints without any investigation.
-Dismiss complaints that were similar to previous complaints against the same facility, and which occurred about the same time.
-Thoroughly investigate only high profile complaints or those that were already subjects of lawsuits.

There are nearly 400 nursing homes in Los Angeles County, each with dozens -- if not hundreds -- of residents and the county has a legal responsibility to investigate any submitted complaints. Failing to adequately investigate each allegation of elder abuse or neglect violates the California Department of Public Health's policies and procedures.

Common nursing home complaints

Common complaints against nursing homes may include the following:
-Inadequate staffing
-Misconduct by staff or medical personnel
-Issues of patient safety
-Receiving unnecessary or incorrect medications or wrong dosages
-Incurring pressure ulcers or bedsores
-Physical mistreatment or neglect
-Sexual or psychological mistreatment
-Financial abuses
-Malnutrition or dehydration

Nursing home residents, family members, visitors, service providers to a home, employees or workers may submit complaints to the county when they suspect or see elder abuse. Anonymity is often essential as staff members may fear losing their jobs, or family members may worry about retaliation against their family members. When a county fails to investigate these complaints, nursing home residents lose twice.

Help for victims of abuse and neglect

If you or a loved one suffers from abuse or neglect at a nursing home, assisted care living facility or in your own home at the hands of a home health agency, contact an experienced elder law attorney. A California lawyer knowledgeable about these types of lawsuits can help.