Amid California's aging population, neglect in residential care homes, nursing facilities, and hospitals is a significant issue. Regardless of whether a facility charges a monthly fee of $3,500 or $15,000, understaffing and inadequate training are common.
This isn't happenstance; it's a result of management prioritizing profit over care. Despite good intentions, staff often struggle to meet residents' needs due to systemic issues.
In San Francisco, a significant portion of senior residents face challenges unique to urban living. With 15.6% of San Francisco residents aged 65 and over living below the federal poverty line in 2021 and many Americans living alone, these individuals are more vulnerable to neglect and abuse.
If you or a loved one faces neglect, know you have options. We're here to fight for you. Led by elder abuse attorney Susan Kang Gordon, we've secured significant verdicts for victims, including a $13.5 million verdict in 2021. Trust us to advocate for you with the same dedication.
The World Health Organization characterizes elder abuse as a single or repeated act or a failure to take appropriate action within any relationship where trust is expected. The failure leads to harm or distress to a person 60 years old or older. This abuse can manifest in various forms, including physical, sexual, emotional, and financial abuse, as well as neglect.
Elder abuse can transpire in a variety of environments, such as:
It’s important to be aware of the places in which your loved one may be at risk so that you can take prompt action if signs of abuse arise.
At Susan Kang Gordon, A Professional Law Corporation, we are devoted to addressing elder abuse and neglect, helping the most vulnerable members of our community attain the case results they rightfully deserve.
The infliction of physical harm upon an elderly individual constitutes a grave offense. Such actions encompass hitting, slapping, pushing, or any other form of physical abuse. Our commitment lies in ensuring accountability for perpetrators and securing rightful compensation for the victims.
Sexual abuse within nursing homes and assisted living facilities represents a profoundly troubling aspect of elder abuse. We approach these delicate cases with meticulous care and professionalism, exerting relentless effort to hold perpetrators accountable.
Medication errors can have serious, even fatal, consequences for an older adult. Whether it's a wrong dosage, incorrect medication, or failure to administer necessary medication, we handle cases where negligence or malpractice has led to harm.
Should you have lost a loved one due to nursing home abuse or negligence, we stand ready to assist you in pursuing a wrongful death claim. We empathize with the anguish and sorrow you are experiencing and are steadfast in our dedication to advocating for justice on your behalf.
When a resident is not properly supervised in a nursing home or assisted living facility, they may wander off or elope, putting themselves in danger. We handle cases where negligence has led to injury or harm due to wandering and elopement.
Improper handling during wheelchair transfers can lead to serious injuries for an older person. We handle cases where negligence during wheelchair transfers has led to harm.
Choking is a common cause of death among the elderly. If your loved one has died due to choking that could have been prevented with proper care, we can help you seek compensation.
Due to their unique vulnerabilities, older individuals are susceptible to particular kinds of harm. Some prevalent injuries and conditions resulting from elder abuse include.
Among the elderly, falls are commonplace yet can also signal abuse. Investigating the circumstances surrounding a fall is crucial to discern whether it was unavoidable or resulted from neglect or deliberate harm.
These painful sores form when a person remains in one position for too long. Consulting an elder abuse attorney is prudent if a family member develops these conditions.
Common among improperly cared-for elderly individuals, aspiration pneumonia occurs when foreign matter enters the lungs. A severe infection can be life-threatening and require extensive medical intervention.
Brain bleeds can lead to grave complications. Their occurrence without a clear cause may indicate physical abuse.
While falls can cause broken bones, unexplained fractures in nursing home patients may suggest elder abuse.
Severe neglect, such as untreated infections or bedsores, may lead to amputation, drastically affecting quality of life.
Significant weight loss in the elderly can be attributed to dehydration and malnutrition, which are prevalent outcomes of elder abuse. These conditions, stemming from inadequate nutrition or deliberate food withholding, often signal neglect or intentional harm inflicted upon vulnerable seniors.
Lawyers aim to safeguard the elderly and offer legal recourse for victims. Those eligible to pursue legal action for elder abuse include:
In certain situations, public entities such as Adult Protective Services or the District Attorney's office may also take legal action against the perpetrator.
In California, the statute of limitations for elder abuse varies depending on the nature of the abuse. For physical abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect, the victim or their representative has 1-2 years from the date of the incident to file a lawsuit.
If the abuse is financial in nature, the victim has four years from the date they discovered or reasonably should have discovered the financial abuse to file a lawsuit.
