CMS Proposes Rules to Strengthen Nursing Home Oversight

Attorneys at Ellis Law are pleased to learn that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed guidelines aimed to improve the care that patients receive in nursing homes in California and around the country. The suggested measures, which we believe are long overdue, are designed to reduce unnecessary readmissions of patients who have been discharged, avoid infections, and introduce new safety and quality of care measures. President Obama introduced the rules on July 13 during the White House Conference on Aging.

In a statement concerning their release, the secretary of Health and Human Resources (HHS) Sylvia Mathews Burwell noted that, “When a family makes the decision for a loved one to be placed in a nursing home or long-term-care facility, they need to know that their loved one’s health and safety are priorities.”

Unfortunately, there are times when family members in nursing homes are not treated with the level of care that they deserve. In these cases, it may be time to consider filing a Los Angeles elder abuse lawsuit in order to hold liable parties responsible. Ellis Law attorneys can provide more information about the next steps to take if you find yourself in such a position.

Pursuing a Los Angeles nursing home abuse lawsuit

The 403-page document listed numerous ways in which nursing home safety and oversight need to be improved.

Examples include:

• Making sure staff is properly trained concerning care of dementia patients and prevention of elder abuse
• Steps to improve care planning, including discharge planning and evaluation of caregiver’s proficiency
• Appropriate ways to provide follow-up care information and the transmission of other instructions
• Strengthening the rights of nursing home residents

Some advocacy groups, such as the Long Term Care Community Coalition, though happy with the steps that have been proposed, believe that the document should have included mandatory staffing minimums to avoid burnout.

At Ellis Law, we have heard of too many cases in which avoidable mistakes, some related to short-staffed facilities, and outright abuse and neglect have cost the health and lives of elderly patients. We are eager to see necessary reforms in long-term care facilities, but know that neglect and abuse are chronic problems in an industry bloated with profit-driven nursing homes. Our skilled elder abuse lawyers in LA advocate for patients who have suffered negligent treatment, physical violence and neglect in Southern California nursing homes and assisted care facilities.

Ellis Law represents victims of nursing home abuse

Nursing home abuse can come in many forms. These can include financial exploitation or fraud, physical abuse (including hitting, choking, or other physical violence directed toward a patient), neglect, emotional abuse, or sexual exploitation of a patient. Nursing homes can also be held liable if patients are abused by other patients because the facility did not provide appropriate oversight.

If you believe that a family member has been abused, neglected, or exploited in any way in a Los Angeles-area nursing home, please speak to an attorney at Ellis Law to inquire about your legal options. We are available to meet with you on a no-cost, no-obligation basis to answer any questions you may have about filing a lawsuit. Please call 310-641-3335 to set up a meeting.