Orange County Nursing Home Abuse Attorney

   Have you or a loved one been seriously injured in an elder abuse incident in Orange County? Is your loved one suffering from serious physical and emotional trauma due to abuse? The committed and experienced attorneys represent victims in serious personal injury cases. Our attorneys have won millions for their clients, and are known for their dedication and perseverance in achieving results for victims of serious personal injury in Orange County and beyond.

   Senior citizens over 80 are the highest-growing population in the United States, according to a 2005 study. This study brings forth a large group of Americans at high risk for abuse and neglect. Even more frightening, this abuse often exists within the elderly person’s own home, family’s home, or nursing home. The perpetrators may be caregivers, friends, or family.

   The six categories of elder abuse in Orange County include:

• Physical Abuse: When someone uses physical force to produce pain, bodily injuries, and impairment, the senior citizen suffers from physical abuse. This may include hitting, beating, shaking, shoving, kicking, pinching, pushing, and perhaps burning. Other forms of physical abuse include drugs, force-feeding, unnecessary restraints, and physical punishment. Indications that your loved one may be suffering from physical abuse include welts, bruises, lacerations, black eyes, broken and fractured bones, marks on body, punctures, open wounds, internal bleeding, dislocations, marks from restraints, broken eyeglasses, a sudden change of behavior, or a caregiver refusing the victim to visit with family alone.
• Sexual Abuse: Sexual abuse is defined as non-consensual sexual conduct with an elderly person. This also includes intercourse or sexual actions with an individual that is unable to offer consent. Sexual abuse may involve, but is not limited to, rape, sexual assault, forced nudity, and even sexually-explicit photography. Signs of sexual abuse include bruises on or around the breasts or genitals, bleeding in the anus or vagina, and genital infections.
• Psychological/Emotional Abuse: Verbal and nonverbal acts that inflict pain, anguish, and distress is known as emotional or psychological abuse. This includes intimidation, threats, verbal assault, insults, humiliation, and harassment. A source of severe emotional stress is also isolation from friends and family, and treating the elder like a child.
• Neglect: Neglect is the most common form of elder abuse. Neglect is defined as the failure to fulfill duties or obligations to the elder, and may include dehydration, malnutrition, untreated health problems, hazardous living conditions, and unsanitary home conditions.
• Abandonment: This occurs when those who are responsible for the care of an elder neglect their caregiving duties. 
• Material/Financial Exploitation: The improper or illegal use of the elder’s savings, funds, property, or assets is deemed financial abuse. This includes stealing money, forging checks or signatures, or having them sign illegal documents.