Orange Cove, California

Welcome to the site for the city of Orange Cove under the official elder abuse and neglect nursing home and assisted living facility website for Yeroushalmi Law. We are a team of attorneys and experts in elder law, passionate about protecting the elderly from abuse and neglect in long-term care.

Orange Cove was first established in 1914 by Elmer M. Sheridan, who gave the town its name prior to the mass production of citrus growing. During that year, the first post office was built and the city was incorporated 34 years later. Orange Cove is truly a “fruitful” city — home to hundreds of acres of orange and lemon trees that produce citrus fruit all year round. The city also hosts the famous Fresno County Blossom Trail event every year, celebrating the kickoff of the agricultural growing season each spring. The location is convenient for avid hikers and adventure seekers, as well—its location is only an hour’s drive from Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park. Yosemite National Park is also located near the city, just three hours north. There are 11 assisted living facilities in Orange Cove and 19 nursing home facilities nearby.

Lack of energy, also known as anergia, affects multiple dimensions of wellbeing and is known to be a sign of various adverse conditions, such as decreased physical, mental, social, and psychological function. Older adults, especially those in nursing homes and assisted living facilities who suffer from multiple chronic diseases, commonly experience anergia. This symptom greatly affects quality of life, physical functioning, and reliance on utilizing health care services — thereby increasing related costs. It is critical that nursing staff that care for elderly patients be vigilant in identifying, assessing, and treating this symptom due to the deleterious effect it has on quality of life and overall functioning. Researchers recently found that about one in every two older adults with comorbid diseases reported experiencing a lack of energy during the previous week, leading to high levels of distress. They also found that those who reported experiencing anergia also had a greater likelihood of using health care services that resulted in higher hospitalization rates and increased number of outpatient visits. This symptom was also found to be a strong indicator for future mortality in the elderly. Studies that have explored cardiovascular syndromes found that a lack of energy is significantly related to numerous comorbid conditions, lower functional status, quality of life, and negative health-related outcomes.

A study that was recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association (JAMDA) examined how anergia affected elderly residents in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The study found that those who self-reported feelings of anergia had a higher risk of negative health outcomes later in life. Moreover, researchers noted that the number of emergency room visits and hospitalizations were nearly twice as much in older adults with anergia. Even in assisted living facility residents, those with dementia and fatigue had a greater likelihood of hospitalization.

It is clear that nursing home and assisted living facility staff must have greater consideration of the perception of lack of energy in older adult residents. Care staff must be able to recognize and mitigate any associated symptoms in multimorbid patients and strive to maintain or enhance their quality of life.

If you or someone you love has been residing in a nursing home or assisted living facility and experienced poor quality of care, you may have been a victim of elder abuse or neglect. Contact our office today. Our attorneys are experienced in elder law and will pursue your case with compassion and vigor until a just resolution is obtained.