Narrowly Focused Fresno Nursing Home Abuse Attorney
Our Fresno nursing home abuse lawyer can help your family after a tragedy inside a healthcare facility. If your loved one’s needs were ignored or neglected inside a California skilled nursing facility, contact our Fresno nursing home abuse attorney today to learn more about your legal options. We can help you report the abuse to the appropriate Fresno County authorities, we can investigate what really happened and hopefully provide you answers, and, we can pursue justice via a Fresno nursing home negligence lawsuit.
At Senior Justice Law Firm, nursing home negligence cases are our law firm’s focus. This is all we do.
Our goal is to get your family an explanation on what really happened, financial compensation for the losses you sustained, and most importantly, peace of mind in knowing that the facility understands its mistake and will correct the errors in the future.
We never charge any out of pocket retainer fee for our services. We only get paid if we win your case. If so, we accept a percentage of the settlement or judgment as payment for our legal services. Call to speak with our Fresno nursing home abuse attorney today by calling 888-375-9998. If you prefer typing over talking, that is perfectly fine. Live chat with our office below.
We look forward to helping your family along the journey to justice.
Areas our Fresno Nursing Home Negligence Lawyer Serves
If you suspect your loved one has experienced abuse or neglect in a Fresno nursing home, you are not alone. Reports of caregivers mistreating vulnerable elderly patients in the Central San Joaquin Valley’s long term care facilities are on the rise, and as the region’s population rapidly ages, such cases are unlikely to slow down anytime soon. Our experienced nursing home abuse attorneys represent victims in Fresno County and throughout Central California to ensure abusive facilities face consequences for their crimes.
This page provides information related to some of the most pressing questions you may have if your elderly loved one experienced abuse or neglect in a Fresno nursing home. It also offers resources on identifying and reporting mistreatment and tools for researching a facility’s history of inspections and reports to help you protect your elderly loved one from unnecessary harm. If you have more questions, our Fresno nursing home abuse attorneys are available to assist you with getting the answers you need.
Quality of Life in Fresno is Tarnished by Poor Nursing Home Care
Located in the heart of California’s Central Valley, Fresno is a diverse and multifaceted city with a modern history dating back to the legendary Gold Rush of the 1800’s. While agricultural abundance fuels much of its economy, Fresno fosters a range of other industries, making it the metropolitan hub of the Central Valley, and the fifth most populous city in California.
But much like other areas of the country, Fresno’s population is aging. In fact, the Central Valley’s older adult population, particularly in Fresno and Madera Counties, is one of the fastest growing demographics in California, largely due to an aging baby boomer generation and a steady influx of retirees from coastal areas seeking more affordable living costs. As a result, no region in California except Los Angeles will experience a faster senior citizen growth rate over the next decade than the Central Valley.
In response, the demand for elder care services in Fresno is set to rise quickly to accommodate more seniors seeking an environment where they can receive the care they need as they experience increasing age-related health issues. While nursing homes with records of quality elder care do exist in Fresno, there is also no shortage of abuse reports stemming from local facilities that are chronically understaffed, mismanaged, or simply uninterested in prioritizing patient wellbeing over shareholder profits.
If your loved one lives in nursing home in the Central Valley or is planning to transition into one soon, you can take steps to protect them by equipping yourself with the resources on this page. And if you need to discuss your legal rights as a nursing home abuse victim or loved one of a victim, our Fresno attorneys are available for a completely free and confidential consultation.
Identifying Abuse in Fresno Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities
There is no excuse for any senior to needlessly suffer in a nursing home, and yet, abuse and neglect continue to plague Fresno’s facilities. Part of the reason for this is that many nursing home residents’ loved ones are unaware of the most common indicators of mistreatment. It is also often assumed that nursing home residents will report any instances of abuse that they may experience. But this is simply not the case.
The elderly often suffer from cognitive decline and other mental health issues, which can lead to confusion or outright memory loss, preventing them from accurately describing their experiences. In other cases, nursing home residents may be fearful of the repercussions of reporting abuse or feel such shame and embarrassment over what happened that they are hesitant to divulge details. In any case, your vigilance for warning signs will always be of the utmost importance.
Any of the following issues should be treated as an immediate red flag for nursing home abuse or neglect and should be promptly reported to authorities:
- Bed sores
- Lack of basic amenities
- Unsanitary or cluttered living space
- Sudden unexplained behavioral changes
- Repeated falls
- Unexplained sexually transmitted diseases, sexual abuse
- Unpaid bills, new credit cards, and/or increased cash withdrawals
- High white blood cell count, fevers, change in skin color, and signs of infection
- Uncommunicative about care or individual(s) responsible for care
- New injuries or suspected injuries
Remember that nursing home abuse takes a variety of forms and may be physical, emotional, sexual, or financial. It is not always easy to spot, even for those who know what to look for, and it is widely recognized that the vast majority of elder abuse cases are never reported. If more people take the time to educate themselves on the most common red flags that consistently show up in nursing home abuse cases in Fresno and throughout California then this disheartening trend might begin to reverse.
If you have questions on identifying abuse, our nursing home abuse attorneys are available to assist you with getting the answers you need. We can aid in the investigation into what happened to your loved one inside a Fresno facility and ensure you achieve justice following a wrongful injury or death.
If your loved one suffered any of the above ‘red flag’ injuries inside a healthcare facility, call our Fresno nursing home abuse attorney today for a free consultation: 888-375-9998.
How to Report Elder Abuse in the Fresno Metropolitan Area
If you suspect your elderly loved one is being mistreated, you must be proactive in contacting the proper authorities. Note that if you believe your loved one is in immediate danger then you should call 9-1-1 as the following resources are not emergency response lines.
Filing a report with your local police department is always a sensible option for ensuring your case of suspected nursing home abuse is investigated. The non-emergency response lines for some of the largest law enforcement offices in the Central Valley are listed below:
- Fresno Police Department: (559) 621-7000
- Fresno County Sheriff’s Office: (559) 600-3111
- Clovis Police Department: (575) 763-9472
- Coalinga Police Department: (559) 935-2313
- Reedley Police Department: (559) 637-4250
- Madera County Sheriff’s Office: (559) 675-7770
Aside from local law enforcement, there are many dedicated elder abuse reporting and investigative resources available to Central Valley residents.
To report suspected elder abuse taking place in a private home, apartment, hotel, or in a nursing homes when the alleged abuser is NOT a resident or staff member, contact your local Adult Protective Services (APS) office.
Fresno County 24-hour APS Hotline: (559) 600-3383 or (800) 418-1426
Madera County 24-hour APS Hotline: (559) 675-7839
APS reports are reviewed by trained social workers and investigated as deemed appropriate. If an elderly person is found to be at risk, then APS can provide the appropriate interventions or make referrals to other agencies or programs that can assist.
To report suspected abuse at a skilled nursing or long-term care facility in Fresno and Madera Counties:
Contact the Fresno-Madera Long-Term Care Ombudsman (FMLTCO) Program: (559) 224-9177
The FMLTCO’s primary purpose is to resolve complaints made by, or on behalf of, local nursing home residents. The organization conducts investigations into the complaints it receives and also offers free advocacy services to Fresno and Madera county nursing home residents.
If the Ombudsman’s investigation reveals that a facility is indeed abusing or otherwise putting its patients at risk, then the organization will forward the case on to the California Department of Public Health (DPH), which has the authority to pursue civil penalties against the facility. DPH may also refer the case to the Fresno or Madera County District Attorney’s Office or to the California Attorney General’s Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse to conduct a criminal investigation.
Since nursing homes and other medical facilities are licensed by the California Department of Public Health, you can also report suspected abuse related to a specific facility directly to DPH. You can make reports to DPH both online or by phone.
Report Fresno nursing home abuse to DPH online using this form.
Report nursing home abuse to the Fresno DPH District Office: (800) 824-0613
- Counties served: Fresno, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Stanislaus
Given the fact that an elderly person’s wellbeing can drastically change in a short amount of time, the importance of reporting suspected abuse as quickly as possible cannot be overstated. Oftentimes, reports are put off when an individual is unsure whether their suspicion is legitimate. But this should never be an excuse in California as those who make reports in good faith are protected from any civil or criminal liability if the report is determined to be unfounded. It is always safer to submit a report than to stay silent, especially when you notice any of the most common warning signs of mistreatment.
How to Select the Best Nursing Home in the San Joaquin Valley
As you help your loved one transition into professional age-related care, you want to make the most well-informed decision possible. Fortunately, records of licensed facilities’ inspection reports and related information are publicly available and easily searchable using various resources from federal, state, and local authorities.
Since nursing homes in California are regulated by the California Department of Public Health, its inspection reports are publicly available on its website. Use DPH’s Cal Health Find tool to search for any nursing home in Fresno or anywhere in California and review its inspection history. You can also use Medicare’s Nursing Home Compare tool to access reports on nursing homes throughout the state and information on whether a facility has been cited for abuse.
The Community Care Licensing Division of the California Department of Social Services hosts a database of records regarding the Residential Care for the Elderly (RCFE) facilities that it licenses. These facilities encompass assisted living, memory care, and Continuing Care Retirement Communities.
Find information on Fresno County Residential Care Facilities
Find information on Madera County Residential Care Facilities
If possible, it is always worthwhile to visit nursing homes in-person to meet with the staff, ask any questions, and get a first-hand view of what the facility’s living conditions are like. Seeking references from trusted family members, friends, or healthcare providers can also be invaluable. Regardless of what you decide, always keep in mind that abuse and neglect can happen at any nursing home, so always be on the lookout for any signs of mistreatment.
Fresno Nursing Home News: Central Valley Caregivers Protest Crisis in Care
Many people wonder, how could nursing home abuse be such a widespread problem in Fresno and elsewhere in California? While there are innumerable cases of greed, ineptitude, and downright malice leading to unthinkable outcomes for nursing home residents, the fact that staff members in California’s nursing homes are routinely overworked and receive relatively meager pay compared to other healthcare professionals cannot not be disregarded. For-profit nursing homes can be especially egregious in pushing employees past their limits. Sadly, maximizing profitability is rarely aligned with employee satisfaction, let alone optimal resident health and happiness. For those who truly care about the wellbeing of the elderly, this is a critical issue in the nursing home industry that must be addressed.
Recent protests at Fresno area nursing home sites show how more attention is being paid to workers’ issues in nursing homes. A protest on August 10, 2022 at Willow Creek Healthcare Center in Clovis brought together nursing home employees from across the Central Valley to call for increased staffing and wages. The protestors shared with local news stations how low pay has led to high turnover at their facilities, and how COVID-19 remains a significant concern for residents and staff. Protest organizers SEIU Local 2015, the largest long term care union in the US, also shared that according to its February 2022 survey, 50% of its members and certified nursing assistant (CNA) registrants working in private nursing homes across California say they have plans to quit their jobs.
Given such high levels of discontent among caregivers, it is not hard to see why nursing homes in the Central Valley face a crisis in care. But as so many corporate providers continue to reap record profits, even as intolerable conditions persist within their facilities, the battle to end nursing home abuse and neglect in Fresno and throughout California is clearly far from over.
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Remember that elder abuse festers in the darkness. If you suspect your loved one was neglected or abused, report the incident so that this kind of harm does not happen to the next vulnerable resident.
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