What is Elder Abuse Awareness Day? In 2006, the annual date of June 15 was designated as “World Elder Abuse Awareness Day” by the International Network for Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations.  The Day serves as a call-to-action for families, advocates, lawyers, and other organizations to promote a better understanding of elder abuse and neglect by increasing the awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect. Studies have illustrated that about one in ten individuals aged ..read more

If your loved one resides in a nursing home or assisted living facility, it is important to be on the lookout for signs of abuse and neglect.  Sadly, instances of abuse and neglect are not uncommon, and many elderly residents, especially those who suffer from cognitive issues such as dementia, are often unable to protect or speak up for themselves.  Unusual depression, confusion, isolation, and withdrawal, as well as unexplained bruises and injuries, and poorly-kept hygiene, are all major signs that an elderly resident may be the victim of neglect. If you believe your loved one has a ..read more

What is Gabapentin? Gabapentin is used to treat chronic neuropathic pain, but it may cause dizziness, drowsiness, and confusion in some older adults.  Making the decision on whether the benefit of gabapentin outweighs the side effects, which could lead to increased falls, may seem daunting.  Gabapentin is one of the most common drugs used for neuropathic pain and psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder.  Gabapentin is used in 82.6% of people who need anticonvulsants.  Dosing for gabapentin has a wide variety.  The average dose is 975 mg/day, ranging from 100 ..read more

Abuse and neglect in long-term care facilities for the elderly is usually difficult to notice.  Studies from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) indicate that as many as 1 in 10 elders experience some form of abuse each year, and figures from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that on average just 1 out of 24 cases of abuse are reported each year. Some elders can also be at a greater risk of elder abuse based on a number of factors.  These include mental capacity, age, gender, and whether the elder resides in a community setting.  Multiple studies have corroborated that ..read more

On February 28, 2022, the White House announced new reform measures to better the quality of care and the safety of skilled nursing facility residents, as well as to “crack down on bad actors” operating nursing homes.   In his State of the Union address, President Biden called on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to set and maintain higher standards for “sufficient staffing” of nursing homes.  CMS is now conducting research to determine the minimum level and type of staffing requirements needed and plans to propose rule changes to existing regulations within ..read more

As Governor Gavin Newsom announced on May 4, 2020, California began to ease some of the restrictions in place starting Friday, May 8, 2020, introducing the state to the beginning of Phase 2 of California’s four-stage reopening plan. Reopening without the proper protective bulwarks can have dire ramifications. One crucial pillar of protection is the ability to file a law suit against industries who acted irresponsibly during the pandemic. Unfortunately, healthcare and insurance parties are lobbying against this, asking the Governor for blanket civil and criminal immunity for all healthcare prov ..read more

Life Care Center of Kirkland in Washington, the first long-term care facility in the United States with a wide-scale coronavirus outbreak, was recently charged with a $600,000 fine for deficiencies that enabled the virus’ spread. Additionally, due to the slew of deficiencies, they are at risk of losing their Medicare and Medicaid funding. Life Care Center—and its lack of infection control—is not the only facility of its kind. Facilities across the United States are at high risk of exposing one of the most vulnerable populations, the elderly and those who need 24/7 medical attention, to an onsl ..read more

The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has left unprecedented marks on society, triggering stay-at-home orders, shelter-in-place orders, ceasing all in-office activities for non-essential businesses, implementing social distancing measures, to mention a few. The airborne respiratory disease is highly contagious and unfortunately, fatal to a percentage of its victims. And as novel as it is, from the limited research we have thus far, one thing is clear: The most vulnerable, with the highest risk of fatalities, are those 65 years and older, those with underlying health conditions, and those residing i ..read more

In January 2019, Amtrak sneakily added a forced arbitration clause into their ticket purchasing process. When a customer now wants to ride the Amtrak train, he or she is forced to agree to forced arbitration. Forced arbitration in this context means if the customer has any legal claims against the company, whether in the past, present, or future, the customer can now only bring his grievances to an individual arbitrator rather than to a trial by jury in a court of law or through class action. The dangers of such a clause are profound and many. First, the clause was so subtly added that it only ..read more

Admitting yourself or a loved one to a nursing home or residential care facility can be a daunting process. You are often required to sign dozens of forms, and it may be difficult to understand exactly what you are signing when you are in one of the most hectic and stressful situations in your life. Recently, more and more nursing homes and care facilities are slipping arbitration agreements into the stack of paperwork for you to sign upon admission. Although they may tell you that these agreements are “voluntary,” people often feel pressured to sign to make sure that they or their loved ones ..read more