Welcome to the Lawndale, California, website for Yeroushalmi Law, a California law firm specializing in elder abuse and neglect taking place in nursing homes. Our team of nursing home neglect attorneys is dedicated to protecting the elderly from abuses to which they may be subjected in skilled nursing facilities and assisted living facilities throughout the State of California. We hope that this website will serve as a resource to Lawndale residents, helping you choose the best nursing home for your loved ones and keep you informed about some of the most important topics related to keeping your loved one healthy and safe while they reside in a nursing facility.
Incorporated in 1959, Lawndale is located in the South Bay region of the Greater Los Angeles Area. It is bordered by Redondo Beach to the west, Hawthorne to the north, Torrance to the south, and Alondra Park to the east. As of 2021, Lawndale is home to 31,121 people. Originally known as a “bedroom community” from which residents would commute daily to other cities for their jobs, Lawndale has since grown into a tourist attraction after its “Beautify Lawndale” urban renewal project. Lawndale currently has several skilled nursing facilities.
At Yeroushalmi Law, we understand the importance of choosing a quality long-term healthcare facility for yourself or your loved one. When choosing a nursing home, it is important to ensure that the nursing home is not understaffed, but rather is equipped with adequate nursing personnel who are able to provide the highest quality of care. Under California state law, skilled nursing facilities are required to provide a minimum of 3.5 nursing hours per patient per day. However, 3.5 hours is just the minimum requirement. Many patients require more hours of quality care based on their specific health needs. It becomes highly difficult for understaffed nursing homes to identify the problems that their residents may have, and as a result, falls, pressure ulcers, infections, and other similar injuries that are preventable become much more prevalent.
Unfortunately, understaffing is a very common problem in many nursing homes. A recent survey found that on average, patients received only 3.17 nursing hours per day. Another study conducted by the Health Service Research Journal found that 46 percent of medical homes fail to meet national standards in quality of care in order to even classify them as medical homes.
These issues can often be compounded by high turnover rates and staffing instability, meaning that the vulnerable elderly populations in nursing homes are constantly subjected to dealing with new staff members who are unknown to them and who are not already familiar with their charts and needs. It is easier for mistakes to be made in professional settings that suffer from high turnover rates, as it takes time for new employees to be trained and especially to build rapport with residents. A high quality nursing facility will invest in retaining skilled and high caliber staff members, operating with the understanding that an investment in its staff is an investment in its residents and their wellbeing.
With such a prevalence of understaffing in California nursing homes today, it is important to understand the risks that understaffing presents to elderly patients and to have an experienced attorney on your side in the event that you or your loved one suffers injuries related to poor quality care in an assisted living facility or nursing home.
If your loved one has suffered injuries due to inadequate staffing, please contact us today to see how we can help secure your loved one's rights and fight for justice on your behalf. Companies that understaff their nursing facilities are aware that in doing so, they are jeopardizing the health and safety of their patients; help us hold them accountable and make the world safer for innocent elders and dependent adults.