Oakland, California
Welcome to the city of Oakland website for Yeroushalmi Law. This page has been specifically designed to inform your community of the dangers of elder abuse in nursing homes. Although we hope that your loved one never falls victim to such abuse, nursing home neglect is, unfortunately, extremely prevalent in California skilled nursing facilities. At Yeroushalmi Law, our elder abuse attorneys are specially equipped to help you and your loved one in the fight against nursing home neglect. As elder abuse attorneys, we understand the complex nature of nursing home neglect and have dealt with all sorts of injuries, both physical and psychological, from which victims of neglect frequently suffer.
Oakland is a busy port city located in the East Bay area. Lake Merritt, which lies east of the city’s downtown, became the first official wildlife refuge in the United States in 1870. Oakland Airport, though small in comparison to the nearby San Francisco International Airport, has seen significant events in aviation history since its opening in 1927. At that time, Oakland Airport actually had the longest runway in the world. In 1935, Amelia Earhart, after becoming the first person to fly from Honolulu, Hawaii to Oakland, California, landed at Oakland Airport. Earhart also departed from Oakland Airport in 1937 in her final flight and intended to return to Oakland Airport after flying around the world. With a population of 450,630, Oakland is the third largest city in the Bay Area and is home to 20 nursing homes.
Studies have shown that more than 50% of nursing home patients have at least one cognitive disorder, such as dementia or Alzheimer’s. If your loved one suffers from dementia, it is important that his or her nursing home is providing the care that your loved one requires. Because recreational activities and other non-pharmacological therapies that have been proven to effectively treat dementia can require additional time and attention, understaffed facilities will often resort to chemical restraints instead. The use of restraints, however, is not only a violation of your loved one’s rights but also is associated with dangerous side effects, including the aggravation of dementia-related agitation or delirium. Furthermore, chemical restraints come in the form of antipsychotic drugs being used for off-label purposes, despite warnings from the Food and Drug Administration indicating that such use more than doubles the chances of death in dementia patients.
Yeroushalmi Law would like to emphasize that the use of antipsychotic drugs to sedate dementia patients is not the proper approach to treating dementia. If your loved one is being chemically restrained, he or she is likely a victim of nursing home neglect. At Yeroushalmi Law, we are very compassionate about victims of neglect and understand how painful it can be to watch your loved one’s health deteriorate. End your loved one’s suffering today and contact the elder abuse attorneys immediately for a free consultation.