Elder abuse continues to be a problem in the United States, and California is rife with cases of 60-year-old or older individuals being harmed by those meant to be caring for them. Reports indicate that just one in 14 cases of elder abuse is reported, and the abuse can come in different forms.
How Serious is Elder Abuse?
Elder abuse continues to grow in the US. For elderly individuals living in nursing facilities, undetected abuse at the hands of the facility’s staff members can lead to more and more individuals suffering harm. The neglect that sometimes occurs in California nursing homes has caused the deaths of elderly victims in the past. If these actions go unreported, uninvestigated, and unpunished, more people will experience the same fate.
Escalation of Elder Abuse
Elder abuse does not just result in the death of patients from neglect. In June 2016, a 65-year-old California resident, Mimie Anita Cowen, was murdered in cold blood by a co-worker who rented a room in her house. Cowen had looked to the courts to evict tenant Scott Pettigrew after he had refused to pay rent and stole from her. The courts did not agree to evict Pettigrew and merely gave the man a five-yard restraining order. Days later, Cowen was dead and police found her lying face down in her own swimming pool.
Things to Remember
The more vulnerable an elderly individual, the more likely he or she is to be harmed. Persons over 80 years old are most often the ones abused as those individuals are more frail and less likely to defend themselves. It is not just nurses and professional caregivers that abuse older Americans. While it may be difficult to believe, family members are the most likely to hurt the ones they love in some way. In fact, a reported 90% of elderly abusers are family members. The vast majority of family members who abuse the elderly are adult children.
Have You Been Abused?
The first thing to do if you have been abused is to tell someone you trust who will get you the help you need. Once you have told someone you can trust, it is important to seek out a lawyer who can help you get the compensation you deserve. You can only get help if you tell someone. Staying quiet about elder abuse cannot only harm you further, but harm others, as well.
Strassburg, Gilmore and Wei Can Help
The law firm of Strassburg, Gilmore and Wei can provide you with legal guidance when it comes to catastrophic injury and wrongful death lawsuits. Located in Pasadena, California, Strassburg, Gilmore and Wei, Attorneys at Law, is available to give you insight on difficult matters. Visit our webpage to see how we can help you. If you have any questions, contact us and let our experienced attorneys in catastrophic injury and wrongful death go to work for you.