ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
Dehydrated With Sepsis And Multiple Bed Sores
Patient Allegedly Neglected For Days
Remedies For Families And Victims
Evans Law Firm, Inc. represents elderly victims and families in cases of the abuse and neglect of hospice patients and nursing home residents. We pursue all those responsible for the abuse including any owners or administrators and supervisory persons in charge of any caregiver who abuses or neglects patients. Nursing home abuse and hospice patient abuse and neglect are real threats, particularly for those patients suffering from dementia or so sick with terminal illness in the case of hospice patients that they are not aware of what is going on around them. In addition to injuries from intentional physical abuse, injury by negligence, neglect and abandonment are also actionable forms of elder abuse. See Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code §§ 15610.05 (definition of abandonment); 15610.63 (definition of physical elder abuse), and 15610.57 (definition of neglect). Victims and families may sue all those responsible for injuries sustained. Recourse can include award of attorneys’ fees and costs in certain circumstances. Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 15657(a). If you have a loved one who has suffered injury due to neglect, abandonment or abuse in a nursing home or care facility in the San Francisco Bay Area, call Evans Law Firm, Inc. at 415-441-8669, and we can help. Our toll-free number is 1-888-50EVANS (888-503-8267).
Recent Arrest For Neglect Of Hospice Patient[1]
According to an announcement by a local Police Department, an in-home caregiver of a hospice patient has been arrested and arraigned on elder abuse and drug charges. According to a probable cause statement, police responded to the victim’s apartment for a medical emergency involving an elderly cancer patient in hospice care. Three hospice workers reported to police that the patient was left in the care of an in-home caregiver, who had neglected her hospice patient for several days. The hospice patient was found to be dehydrated, septic, and had multiple open sores on her body. The apprehended caregiver had been living at the apartment in exchange for the patient’s care. A search of the bedroom she was staying in revealed drug paraphernalia, methamphetamine smoking pipes, and hypodermic needles, according to police. Police also believe that the caregiver was stealing some of the patient’s medication for her own use, according to reports on the case.
Remedies For Victims And Families
The facts in the reported case reveal that a neglected bedridden patient may, in just a matter of a few days, develop bedsores/pressure wounds which can be fatal or develop sepsis or other infections or suffer from dehydration or malnutrition. The other hospice workers caring for the victim in the reported case are mandated reporters of elder abuse under California law. Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 15630.[2] Damages for injured seniors include:
- Economic damages where an actual cost has been absorbed such as medical expenses, loss of income, and specialist fees.
- An award of attorneys’ fees and costs in litigating the case. Welf. & Inst. Code § 15657.5.
- Non-economic damages such as emotional trauma, pain, suffering, and loss of a loved one.
- Punitive damages that are awarded as punishment against the defendant and also meant to deter other nursing homes and staff from committing similar neglect or abuse.
Contact Us
If you or a loved one been the victim of nursing home abuse in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Ingrid M. Evans at Evans Law Firm at (415) 441-8669, or by email at <a href=”mailto:info@evanslaw.com”>info@evanslaw.com</a>. Our toll free number is 1-888-50EVANS.
[1] Evans Law Firm, Inc. was not involved in the case in any way.
[2] Section 15630 reads: “Any person who has assumed full or intermittent responsibility for care or custody of an elder or dependent adult, whether or not that person receives compensation, including administrators, supervisors, and any licensed staff of a public or private facility that provides care or services for elder or dependent adults, or any elder or dependent adult care custodian, health practitioner, or employee of a county adult protective services agency or local law enforcement agency is a mandated reporter.”
