Physical or Sexual Abuse

On any given day in the United States, well over two million Americans live in a nursing home or residential care facility, completely at the mercy of their caregivers.

Sadly, nursing homes are not always the serene, caring homes the public relations department or the marketing brochures promise. Our San Diego nursing home abuse lawyers were alarmed to read a study from the National Center on Elder Abuse that found that 57% of caregivers who work in long-term care facilities admitted to witnessing acts of abuse against residents. 

It is widely agreed that the failure to adequately staff plays a major role in creating conditions where abuse is likely to occur.

Staffing Shortages:A failure to provide adequate staffing numbers for the acuity levels of the facility residents creates stressful working conditions that contribute to an environment ripe for abuse.

Staff Burnout: Homes in the San Diego area that are understaffed often overwork the existing staff to make up for the shortages. In addition, it is not uncommon to have caregivers who work two jobs to support their families, leading to tired and irritable employees.

Poor Training: The failure to adequately train employees is also a cause for abuse and neglect, particularly those who care for dementia patients and others with memory impairment.

Negligent Background Check: It is not rare for our attorneys to discover that a caregiver that commits an act of abuse or neglect has a history of abusive conduct. Incomplete or negligent background checks may allow cause a nursing facility to hire an employee with a propensity to cause harm.

The bottom line is that under no circumstances should the resident of a nursing home or assisted living facility be subjected to any physical or sexual abuse. It is a crime that should be reported to local law enforcement right away, and an injury lawyer can help a victim bring a claim against a facility.

The San Diego lawyers at Walton Law Firm have successfully prosecuted nursing homes and other care facilities in civil courts for the abuse of its residents. If you have questions about physical or sexual abuse in the San Diego area, please submit your confidential question online, or call Walton Law Firm for a free and private consultation with an attorney. We can be reached toll free at 866-607-1325 or locally at (760) 607-1325.