Welcome to the city of Alameda website for Yeroushalmi Law. Our nursing home neglect attorneys are proud to offer legal services to this community. With over 16 years of experience in elder abuse litigation, our team can help your loved one attain the rights to which he or she is entitled.
Founded in 1916, Alameda sits east of the San Francisco Bay Area. The city is known for its beautiful Victorian houses. Every year, Alameda has a Fourth of July parade that is one of the largest in the United States and covers approximately three miles. The city has a population of 73,812 and is home to seven skilled nursing facilities.
Although nursing homes are meant to care for our loved ones, these facilities can unfortunately breach their duties. Therefore, it is important for you to keep a close eye on your loved one, even when he or she is a resident at a skilled nursing facility. One of the best ways to do so is by observing and monitoring the staff. Based on our experience in nursing home neglect litigation, we have found that most injuries that occur in skilled nursing facilities are preventable if there is sufficient staff to care for all residents.
Despite California law that requires a minimum of 3.5 nursing hours per patient day (NHPPD), many nursing homes understaff their facilities to increase profits. It is possible, however, for a nursing home that satisfies the minimum to still be insufficiently staffed. Under Health and Safety Code 1599.1 (a), a nursing home is required to staff at levels sufficient to care for the acuity needs of all its residents, even if this level exceeds the minimum 3.5 NHPPD.
Numerous studies have confirmed that understaffing fosters an environment that allows for preventable injuries such as falls, infections, and pressure ulcers to occur more frequently. Recognizing the correlation between staffing and injuries, many government organizations such as the Department of Health and Human Services have made their funds contingent upon reducing incidents of preventable injuries.
While these types of programs have improved conditions in skilled nursing facilities, you and your loved ones should still be aware of certain consequences created by these changes. Because facilities with high incidences of preventable injuries will receive less funding, they may have an incentive to conceal such injuries. For example, pressure ulcers are highly preventable with proper care and staffing, and therefore, funding organizations will not provide funds to facilities that fail to prevent such injuries from developing. Because pressure sores have four different levels of severity, nursing homes can easily “understage” these injuries, calling a stage III pressure ulcer a stage I pressure ulcer. This can be extremely detrimental to the patients’ health and in many cases, even lead to death.
While it is of utmost importance that you closely monitor your loved one, you can leave the legal issues to us. Our elder abuse attorneys are dedicated to nursing home neglect litigation and can provide you with the services that you and your loved one need. We are compassionate about what we do, and we believe in protecting those in our community who are the most vulnerable. Contact us today for a free consultation.