When it comes to the care of your elderly loved ones, there is seemingly endless numbers of different facilities and options available for their medical and social needs. But not every nursing home and care facility is classified the same. In fact, there are major differences from one nursing home to the next in ways that could be quite consequential to your elderly loved one.
No matter which facility you decide to send your elderly loved one to, California recognizes the incredibly vulnerable position any of these individuals are in. That’s why there are numerous legal protections in place to make sure that they receive adequate and necessary care. Better yet, these protections apply to both public and private companies that run these facilities. Still, nursing home abuse is a major problem in California and throughout the country.
Compassion and Dedication From Experienced California Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
At Maison Law, our team of compassionate and dedicated California nursing home abuse lawyers has seen what happens when nursing home chains put profit ahead of patient safety. While these companies can rake in billions of dollars in revenue based on the number of residents they have, your loved one may still not be getting the care they need. Worse yet, they may be experiencing abuse or neglect. Don’t let that happen. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation to learn more about your legal options.
What Are California’s Largest Nursing Home Chains?
Not surprisingly, care in nursing homes is heavily regulated throughout the country. Nationally, nursing home companies are regulated by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. They are responsible for making sure that residents are properly cared for and that the companies that run these facilities are accurate in their reporting, care, and billing.
As for California, data from the California Association of Health Facilities (CAHF) found that:
- There are 1,230 licensed long-term care nursing facilities in California. These include free-standing nursing homes and nursing homes that are attached to hospitals.
- There are more than 400,000 Californians residing in long-term care facilities.
- The reported average cost per patient for a skilled nursing facility around $304 per day, which equals about $110,960 per year. Medicare and private pay costs at private care facilities are usually higher.
- Occupancy rates for nursing facilities in California are approximately 87%.
Of these facilities, a number of different chains and companies make up the market share of nursing homes and care providers. In California, here are the most prominent nursing home chains:
- Plum Healthcare Group
- Brius Healthcare
- Longwood Management
- Smedra/Winter
- Windsor
- SavaSeniorCare
- Genesis Healthcare
- Brookdale Senior Living
- Kindred Healthcare
- Skilled Healthcare Group
The top five chains control about a fifth of all beds in nursing homes in California. Even with vast financial resources at their disposal, these companies routinely fail inspections and try to skirt state and federal regulations regarding the levels of care they provide to your loved ones.
How Do Different Nursing Home Chains Operate In California?
As licensed facilities, these nursing home chains are subject to rankings and inspections by both state and federal agencies. In California, nursing home inspections are performed by the Department of Public Health’s Licensing and Certification Division. As such, the DPH is responsible for enforcing the main laws and regulations that govern nursing home operations in California. Generally speaking, there are four basic requirements for California nursing homes as it relates to residents:
- Help the patient attain or maintain optimal physical, psychological, and mental well-being.
- Ensure the patient’s condition does not worsen, unless medically unavoidable.
- Maintain and improve health as much as possible through care, therapies, and treatment.
- Provide care, therapies, and treatment subject to the patient’s right to choose.
Nursing homes are inspected by state and federal agencies to ensure they comply with regulations and standards for resident care and safety. Inspections are typically unannounced and can be spurned on by the patient or consumer complaints. The results of inspections are then publicly reported and can result in penalties or sanctions for non-compliance.
Usually, when nursing homes receive poor ratings, they are the result of a number of serious deficiencies. These deficiencies often include:
- Infection control adequacy
- Food preparation safety
- Management of medications
- Proper skin care
- Patient’s rights
- Patient quality of care
Nursing home inspections are important because they help ensure that residents receive quality care in a safe and healthy environment. Inspections help identify and address potential problems, which can improve the quality of life for residents and prevent serious health issues. Inspections also provide valuable information to the public, helping them make informed decisions about choosing a nursing home for themselves or a loved one.
What Are Some Warning Signs That Your Loved One Is Not Receiving Adequate Care?
Sometimes it can be hard to tell if your loved one is not receiving adequate care, or even worse, being abused. Generally speaking, sudden changes to their behavior and disposition or frequent conflict between them and their caregiver are potential warning signs that the facility is not providing the level of care they are supposed to. At the same time, many elderly people are unable to defend themselves against mistreatment, and as such, you should keep an eye out for further signs of abuse:
- Your loved one failing to take their medications properly, having unexplained injuries, or showing physical signs of restraint.
- Observing overly controlling behavior on the part of the caregiver, or unusual behavior in your loved one including symptoms of dementia, there may be emotional or psychological abuse occurring.
- Signs of sexual abuse can include injuries to your loved one’s private areas, or sudden, unexplained sexually transmitted diseases.
- Changes to your loved one’s bank account, unauthorized use of their financial information, or money missing from their room or living area.
- Your loved one being left alone in a public place, not being bathed, not being dressed appropriately for the weather, or being provided with unsafe living conditions.
- The caregiver refusing to let you be alone with your loved one, you’re right to be suspicious.
While these warning signs are present throughout nursing homes, it can sometimes be more difficult to observe them in a larger chain or facility. This is due to the fact that these chains usually have higher numbers of staff and caregivers, as well as more opportunities to hide abuse via the company’s considerable financial and regulatory resources. Still, as soon as you begin to suspect your loved one is being abused, don’t hesitate to reach out to the proper authorities and file a report. Our team of experienced California nursing home abuse lawyers can help guide you through this process as well.
Dedicated Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers in California
At Maison Law, we understand how stressful it can be to watch your loved ones suffer any form of abuse, pain, or trauma. Any mistreatment of the elderly is unacceptable, but when it happens in a nursing home, it is especially outrageous. These facilities should be concerned with one thing: making sure their residents are taken care of.
Unfortunately, many of these multi-million dollar businesses only care about making a profit. This means your loved one’s care and well-being are put in the back seat. When this happens, our team of dedicated California nursing home abuse lawyers can help you hold these companies accountable. We will help you gather evidence of abuse or inadequate care, make reports to proper authorities, and ultimately file a claim for damages. To get started, contact us today for a free consultation.
