September 29, 2021
4 Resources Available to California Senior Citizens
If you are a senior citizen, or if you’re caring for a senior citizen, then you know how overwhelming it is to sort through all of the resources available to you and make sure you are receiving the best information.
Here are four great resources we recommend for anyone looking to make an informed decision regarding the rights, benefits, and safety of themselves or a family member.
1. City of Los Angeles Department of Aging
The City of Los Angeles Department of Aging has tons of resources that cover almost any area of living, education, health, and finance relevant to senior citizens. They offer counseling services for Medicare, information regarding memory problems, housing options, and more.
2. California Department of Social Services
Similar to the Department of Aging, the Department of Social Services provides a long list of resources to help you and your loved one decide what best serves your needs. Just a few of the services you can learn about are In-Home Supportive Services, retirement living and continuing care, and the rights provided by Adult Protective Services.
3. Department of Financial Protection and Innovation
The Department of Financial Protection and Innovation has two key resources we wanted to share: the Check Before You Invest worksheet, and the info sheet on Financial Elder Abuse. Elders are often targeted for financial scams, so knowing your rights and the common ways scammers take advantage is critical to protecting yourself and your loved ones.
4. AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps and their volunteer programs provide companion services to elderly residents across the country. Their services are a great way to make sure there is someone there to help your loved one when you can’t be there. They do everything from dropping off groceries to spending an afternoon as a friend.
And, of course, if you or your loved one experiences abuse, we at Gharibian Law will fight for you. Don’t hesitate to contact us by phone (888.288.0091) or email (info@gharibianlaw.com) to learn more about our services.
May 28, 2020
Hundreds of California Nursing Homes Have Infection-Control Violation Cases
Approximately 82% of the nearly 1.200 Nursing Homes battling outbreaks of the novel coronavirus in California have been cited repeatedly by inspectors in the past two years for violating federal infection-control standards, according to the Sacramento Bee.
Since 2018, the local Nursing Home industry accumulated hundreds of deficiencies for unsafe conditions that can prompt the spread of flu, pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and skin diseases. Dozens were identified only months before the epidemic started.
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May 28, 2020
More than 51% of COVID-19 deaths in California are from eldercare facilities
The California Department of Social Services released information about cases and deaths at eldercare facilities. The data reveals that at least 41% of all known COVID-19 deaths (as of April) in California occurred among residents and staff of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Since then, the number of nursing home deaths jumped 51% in eight days from April 23 to May 1, and deaths in assisted living facilities nearly doubled between April 20 and May 3.
On Thursday, April 28, California officials released for the first time numbers about deaths at nursing homes from COVID-19. The spokesperson indicated that at least 578 nursing home residents in California have died of complications caused by the virus and added that the numbers could be higher because the current ones only include those “known by the facility” and might not include deaths that occurred after a resident was transferred to a hospital or private home.
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May 28, 2020
Understaffing in Nursing Homes: Effects on the Elderly
Nursing home facilities are in front of an understaffing crisis, which can lead to serious injuries or even death among nursing home residents. Some states don’t have legal mandates on the ratio of nursing home staff to senior residents, meaning the problem can go unchecked.
For years, one of the underlying causes of Elder Abuse and Neglect affecting nursing homes across the country is the understaffing issue. When nursing facilities do not have enough staff to give each patient adequate attention, it leads to mistakes and neglect. At the same time, when staff is extremely overworked and stressed, there is a greater risk that they will commit abusive acts out of frustration.
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May 7, 2020
Nursing Home Owners Ask Governor for Protection From Lawsuits
Our Attorney was on NBCA TV the other day. Here is what channel reported:
For weeks the I-team reported on the virus and its devastating impact on the Nursing homes. So, now nursing homeowners are asking the Governors for protection from lawsuits.
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May 5, 2020
Nursing Home Industry Seeking Blanket Immunity for the Duration of the Pandemic
Rampant COVID-19 cases at nursing homes all over the state have put a special attention on the way these facilities are being managed, and people are questioning if everything was done to adequately protect residents.
Nursing-home owners and operators are conscious of the negligence, and while the very elders they are supposed to safeguard lay dying, the nursing-home industry is knocking on doors in Sacramento seeking immunity to protect itself from liability.
These long-term facilities have requested Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign an executive order that would grant them blanket immunity from all civil and criminal prosecution for the duration of the pandemic. The suggested order would grant immunity, not only for injuries or deaths that result from treating the virus, but for all claims of Elder Abuse.
May 5, 2020
COVID-19 Scams and the Elderly: How to Avoid Being a Victim
This is a scary time for all of us and especially frightening for quarantined seniors. Thousands of scammers and thieves are taking advantage of public panic and confusion around the COVID-19 outbreak to sell fake goods and services as well as to load malware onto people’s phones and computers.
These scams are happening via telephone, text, email, social media and in person, and, as always, vulnerable seniors are a top target for these fraudsters. That’s why we decided to share the most common coronavirus scams targeting seniors and how to avoid them.
April 23, 2020
Police Find 17 Bodies at New Jersey Nursing Home Hit by COVID-19 After Anonymous Tip
Over the weekend, a nursing home in a small New Jersey town requested 25 body bags from authorities. On Monday the 15th, the New Jersey police received an anonymous tip about a body being stored in a shed outside one of the state’s largest nursing homes.
When the police landed, the alleged corpse had been taken away from the shed. Still, they discovered 17 bodies piled inside the facility’s tiny morgue, intended to hold no more than four people.
A total of 68 people associated with the Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center have recently died, with 26 having tested positive for COVID-19. It is still unclear whether any of the 17 bodies found were due to the Coronavirus.
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April 23, 2020
Bollywood Actor Owns East Bay Nursing Home Under Criminal Investigation Related to COVID-19 Deaths.
The Alameda County District Attorney’s office has initiated a criminal investigation into a Hayward nursing home where a growing number of patients, 13 as of Wednesday, April 15, have died from COVID-19. District Attorney Nancy O’Malley said her office has been investigating the Gateway Rehabilitation and Care Center, where 67 people have contracted the virus so far.
A search of the state database carried by the ABC7 I-Team shows that Indian actor Antony Thekkek, and his wife Prema, are equal owners of the business. Since the revelation, the I-Team has called several offices and cell numbers, emailed them and reached out to the couple on Facebook, but have not heard back.
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April 17, 2020
Critical evacuation in Riverside Nursing Home: more than 80 patients were evacuated after employees don’t show up for work
A total of 84 residents from a Riverside nursing home were evacuated to other healthcare locations across the county after employees failed to show up to care for COVID-19 patients on two consecutive days. Magnolia Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center in Riverside, California, had 39 known COVID-19 cases, including 34 among its residents, according to health officials.
Riverside University Health System and Kaiser Permanente sent 33 registered nurses to the 90-bed facility on Tuesday after only one of 13 registered nursing assistants went to work, officials said. But on Wednesday morning, the county’s public health officials made the emergency decision to evacuate the facility and move patients after noticing there was insufficient staff available.