Rosemary Nelson, a Concord nursing home resident who was reported missing last month, was recently found dead in a culvert. She was missing for three days before being found, and had last been seen late in the afternoon at the facility before going missing. Nelson most likely died due to exposure to the elements, according to the coroner’s office. Nelson had walked out of similar facilities previously, according to information obtained by police from family members.
Information is sketchy as to how a 63-year-old woman could disappear from a nursing facility, which has not been identified, and go missing for a prolonged period without it being noticed by staff sooner. It is certainly questionable how a woman could walk out of a facility, and what kind of security measures were in place at the nursing home. If staff had noticed earlier that Nelson was missing, perhaps she could have been located in time to save her life.
This type of tragedy seems to occur all too often in nursing homes, and California nursing home abuse lawyers recognize this fact. Many elderly people cannot care for themselves, which is why they are placed in nursing home facilities to begin with. It doesn’t seem too much to ask that these centers for our elderly provide adequate staff to supervise and insure that residents are not able to leave a facility without anyone knowing it.
Making the decision to place an elderly loved one in a nursing home is extremely difficult. Individuals can search the Medicare website to find ratings of these facilities, and make comparisons of what is available by city, county and zip code. The 5-star rating system on this site will allow you to compare ratings and filter results, so that you can make the best decision for your loved one.
Ratings are based on how nursing home facilities compare when it comes to staffing, health inspections and quality of care delivered. While one nursing home may fare better in staffing, another may be exceptional in quality measures that are in place. This information helps you make an informed decision in order to determine which facility may be best able to properly care for a loved one.
Staffing ratings are determined by the number of residents and how many staff members there are to care for those residents. The number of trained nurses located at the facility is also taken in to consideration.
Regarding health inspections, approximately 180 aspects are studied by trained inspectors to determine the quality of care offered. Quality measures take in to consideration the overall performance of the facility, and review aspects like assisting residents with eating and dressing, and prevention of skin ulcers, bed sores and other common problems.
The Reeves Law Group has offices across California and is dedicated to representing personal injury victims, including victims of nursing home abuse. Please contact us for a free consultation at (800) 644-8000.