ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
Caregiver Charged With Elder Abuse/Neglect
Police Say Caregiver Abandoned 92-Year Old
Caregiver Allegedly Stole Car After Abandoning Victim
Physical abuse and neglect of elders, including when a caregiver abandons an elder or dependent adult, are crimes. Cal. Penal Code § 368. The California Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act (“Elder Abuse Act’), Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code §§ 15600 et seq., also imposes civil liability on persons and businesses who abuse seniors and dependent adults. All seniors are vulnerable to the risk of elder physical abuse and neglect, whether they are under the care of in-home caregivers, reside in nursing homes or assisted care facilities, or are under hospice care. Evans Law Firm, Inc. represents seniors and their families when the senior has been abused, neglected or abandoned in facilities and hospice programs. If you have a senior loved one who has suffered abuse from a caregiver or in a nursing home or hospice program here in Alameda County or elsewhere in California call us today at (415)441-8669 or TOLL FREE 1-888-80EVANS (888-503-8267).
Abandonment Can Be Fatal
Abandonment of a senior in need of care is a potentially fatal form of abuse. Section 15610.05 of the Elder Abuse Act defines abandonment as follows:
“Abandonment” means the desertion or willful forsaking of an elder or a dependent adult by anyone having care or custody of that person under circumstances in which a reasonable person would continue to provide care and custody.
Abandonment of an elder or dependent adult is also a crime under Penal Code § 368(c). Abandonment often involves a paid caregiver. Individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease or other forms of cognitive decline or in hospice care are particularly at risk. One caregiver was recently arrested for allegedly abandoning a 92-year-old hospice patient who required full-time medical care.[1] Court documents in the case also indicated that the caregiver allegedly stole a vehicle after abandoning the 92-year-old hospice patient.
Recourse For Families Of Hospice Patients
If you have a loved one who has suffered any kind of abuse or neglect, including by abandonment in a hospice program, call us at Evans Law Firm, Inc. right away. We know how to investigate cases of physical elder abuse and how to pursue all remedies available under California law which include holding supervisors and owners responsible for neglect and abuse of institutionalized patients. Awards may include attorneys’ fees and expenses you’ve incurred in bringing your case. Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 15657. We will hold all parties responsible for the abuse to count, including owners of hospice and home health care agencies and owners, administrators and supervisors in nursing homes and other care facilities.
Contact Us
You can reach Ingrid M. Evans at (415) 441-8669, or by email at info@evanslaw.com or TOLL FREE 1-888-80EVANS (888-503-8267).
[1] Evans Law Firm, Inc. was not involved in the reported case in any way.
