Welcome to attorney Ben Yeroushalmi's San Marino page for elder abuse law. We specialize in nursing home neglect cases and have created this page so you understand how to identify abuse and what legal action you can take to put an end to it. Nursing homes are required by law to provide a certain standard of care, set out by the Patients' Bill of Rights and other statutes. Violations can put residents in great danger and cause real injuries and even death. Continue reading below and around our site to learn more about types of nursing home abuse and neglect.
The City of San Marino, originally part of the San Gabriel Mission, was incorporated in 1913 from the three Ranchos of local landowners Wilson, Patton, and Huntington. With its first school opened in 1917, and the high school in 1956, the city is now known for its excellent public education. Covering just under 4 square miles, real estate is one of the main highlights. With no apartment complexes, San Marino is made up of housing mainly dating to the 1920s to 50s and is one of the most expensive zip codes in the whole country. The beauty of its houses, coupled with its many tree-lined streets, have drawn movie and television producers to film there: The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Legally Blonde, The West Wing, and The Wedding Singer. Residents can enjoy the 30 acre Lacy Park, with Rose Arbor and tennis courts, or the world famous gardens and library at The Huntington. The history of the area can still be glimpsed in the Old Mill, one of the oldest commercial buildings in California, now turned into an art venue that features local talent. There are currently no Skilled Nursing Facilities in San Marino, but easy access to the larger cities of Pasadena and Alhambra provides many options.
While there will be differences between all nursing homes, it is important that they all share in providing a certain level of care to their residents, regardless of location, size, or price. The law mandates a minimum standard for physical and emotional health and safety. This includes freedom from excessive use of restraints and unnecessary medications, physical and mental abuse, and preventable injuries or infections. Although abuses can be many and varied, there are some more common types of injuries that are important to know about if your loved one is at risk in his or her nursing home.
The major cause of injury in nursing homes is understaffing. In order to offer proper and adequate care for their residents, every nursing home is required by law to provide at least 3.2 hours of direct nursing care to each patient every day. When facilities do not adhere to these standards, they are not only violating the law, but are also putting their residents at great risk for injury and harm. A common example of a neglect injury, a pressure ulcer is a very painful condition that is very avoidable when nursing staff are adequately trained and devote the time to carry out prevention techniques. Common healthcare-associated infections, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and scabies, have been identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with guidelines for control and prevention. But many nursing homes do not follow standard infection-control procedures and allow their residents to become infected with these possibly fatal diseases.
Such actions on the part of the nursing facility constitute an abuse of their patient's rights and should not be allowed to continue. If your loved one is suffering from pressure sores or injuries because of nursing home neglect, please contact us today. See what we can do to help you and your loved one in a free consultation, at our offices, your house or even by your hospital bed.