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Los Angeles Nursing Home Injury Lawyers Handling Resident-on-Resident Abuse Claims
Experienced advocacy for California residents of nursing homes who are harmed by other residents
Many of the residents of a nursing home have cognitive impairments such as dementia or Alzheimer’s. Some residents just think they can take advantage of other residents. Other residents have a great amount of emotional or physical pain and lash out at other residents when the pain hurts too much.
At Garcia & Artigliere in California, our Los Angeles nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers handle all types of claims on behalf of residents. These claims don’t just include abuse by nursing home administrators, staff, or outside visitors. We also file claims against nursing homes that fail to protect their residents from harm by other residents. The nursing home staff should be trained to identify residents who might be abusive. The staff should be able to control unruly residents who are threatening or hurting other residents. Most resident-on-resident abuse is preventable.
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How can we help?
- How often do resident-on-resident attacks and confrontations occur?
- What conduct qualifies as resident-on-resident nursing home incidents?
- What are the causes of resident-on-resident abuse in Los Angeles nursing homes?
- What steps should Los Angeles nursing homes take to prevent resident-on-resident abuse?
- How do your Los Angeles nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers fight for senior abuse and neglect victims?
- Do you have a nursing home abuse lawyer near me?
How often do resident-on-resident attacks and confrontations occur?
Cornell University in 2016 conducted a study that found that nearly 20 percent of nursing home residents are involved in resident-on-resident incidents each month. Some incidents do cause injuries. Some are also fatal. Many of these incidents involved a resident who has dementia.
One definition of resident-to-resident incidents is that they are:
“Negative, aggressive, and intrusive verbal, physical, material, and sexual interactions between long-term care residents that in a community setting would likely be unwelcome and potentially cause physical or psychological distress or harm in the recipient.”
Some of the contributing factors to resident-on-resident incidents include understaffing, poor training, poor risk assessment, and other types of poor planning.
The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), in a 2008 study called Resident-to-Resident Aggression in Long-Term Care Settings, found the following alarming statistics involving residents in nursing homes:
- Many nurse aides reported high levels of residents screaming at each other
- More than 9 in 10 nurse aides observed grabbing, pushing, and pinching by residents in the prior 3 months
- More than 9 in 10 nurse aides observed aggressive behavior between the residents in the prior 3 months
- Nearly 7 in 10 nurses observed stealing
- Nearly 4 in 10 observed residents exposing body parts to other residents
More current worldwide studies indicate some concern about how often resident-on-resident abuse occurs.
What conduct qualifies as resident-on-resident nursing home incidents?
The NCEA analysis identified many different types of resident-on-resident events including the following, based on interviews with staff, residents, staff, and direct observations by the researchers.
- Hostile interactions. These include arguments, accusations, attempts at social control, disproportionate responses, jeering, and sarcasm.
- Invasion of privacy. This includes invasion of room privacy, invasion of personal space, and inappropriate caregiving.
- Problems with roommates. These include disagreements between roommates and belligerent roommates.
- Unprovoked actions. These include physical assaults and verbal assaults without warning or cause
- Inappropriate sexual behavior. These include unwanted sexual advances and exposure or intentional nudity in the presence of other residents.
The National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center gives the following illustrations of resident-on-resident incidents:
- Kicking, hitting, pushing, and biting
- Screaming
- Invading a resident’s personal space and privacy
- Verbal threats
- Harassment
- Cursing
- Roommate conflicts
- Unwanted sexual behavior
- Throwing things
- Destroying personal property
What are the causes of resident-on-resident abuse in Los Angeles nursing homes?
Nursing homes should be aware of the risk factors for resident-on-resident abuse. These factors include:
- Crowded environments
- Residents who have dementia
- Assailants and victims who have cognitive impairments such as Alzheimer’s
- Residents with a prior or current psychiatric diagnosis
- Anything that may increase agitation and confusion among the residents
Victims of resident-on-resident incidents may suffer depression, loneliness, loss of quality of life, and other psychological harm. Physical harm may include falls, broken bones, bruises, head trauma, and other types of injuries.
What steps should Los Angeles nursing homes take to prevent resident-on-resident abuse?
The National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center states that nursing homes need to be safe and “support each resident’s individuality and ensure they are treated with respect and dignity.”
The Ombudsman resource center recommends that nursing homes including Los Angeles nursing homes:
- Identify which residents might be a danger to other residents and prepare care appropriate care plans
- Identify the causes of behavioral difficulties such as pain, fear, sadness, hunger, and changes in care needs
- Reduce nursing home overcrowding and noise levels
- Provide safe movement areas
- Train staff so they can properly treat residents with mental health challenges and behavioral problems
- Develop better monitoring of resident-on-resident incidents
- Comply with federal and California nursing home regulations
How do your Los Angeles nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers fight for senior abuse and neglect victims?
At Garcia & Artigliere, we’ve been strong advocates for the elderly for a combined 150+ years. Our lawyers work with professionals who understand what safety and health protocols should be in place throughout Los Angeles nursing homes – to prevent or minimize resident-on-resident incidents.
Our lawyers file elder abuse and neglect complaints against nursing homes that fail to take reasonable steps to protect their residents from all types of assaults and mistreatment including misconduct by other residents. Sadly, many residents never recover physically or emotionally from a resident-on-resident attack.
Our lawyers demand that nursing homes pay the following compensation when they are found liable for resident-on-resident attacks:
- Medical costs including care by physicians, physical therapists, psychologists, and other health providers
- Physical pain and emotional suffering
- Loss of quality of life
Any harm to seniors in a nursing home is compounded by the fact that seniors have less time to heal and adjust to any type of trauma.
Our Los Angeles nursing home resident-on-resident attorneys also file California wrongful death claims on behalf of family members if a resident-on-resident attack results in death.
Do you have a nursing home abuse lawyer near me?
Garcia & Artigliere are strong advocates for Los Angeles nursing home residents who are assaulted or harmed by other residents. We work with doctors who help your loved one and guide you and your loved one through the claims process.
Get help now. Talk with our attorneys if your loved one was abused by a California nursing home resident
Nursing homes in Los Angeles understand from the start that many of their residents have physical and emotional challenges. There’s no excuse for saying resident-on-resident attacks were a surprise or that there was nothing that could be done. There are regulations and common-sense safest standards and procedures that nursing homes need to implement. At Garcia & Artigliere, our Los Angeles nursing home resident-on-resident assault attorneys are skilled at showing that a nursing home failed to protect your loved one from a residential attack. Our national law firm handles cases locally and treats our clients personally.
To assert the right of a senior to compensation for nursing home abuse or neglect, call us or contact us today to schedule a free case evaluation. We maintain additional offices in Long Beach, Louisville, New Orleans and Phoenix. Our elder care lawyers represent clients throughout the United States. There are no upfront costs. Our attorneys only receive compensation if your payment if your claim is successful.
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