Perhaps in response to the revelation that the California Department of Public Health has been negligent in investigating claims of elder abuse occurring in nursing homes and assisted living facilities across the state, Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed fiscal budget includes the addition of roughly 260 positions in the Licensing & Certification Division of the California Department of Public Health.
A statement issued by the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR) in response to the proposed budget reads:
“According to the Department’s Budget
Change Proposals, the Department is requesting the new positions primarily because its prior methodology for assessing its staffing needs failed to consider that inspectors were needed to investigate its vast backlog of complaints or to finish complaint investigations and write reports after onsite visits were conducted.”
Unfortunately, even given the influx of a proposed $30 Million, and the addition of hundreds of jobs, CANHR also said that it is expected to take an additional four years for all pending investigations to be completed. Their statement further said:
“In other words, the Department allowed thousands of complaints involving nursing home abuse and neglect to languish for years because its leaders could not competently perform the most basic assessment of its staffing needs. Some of these failed leaders remain at the Department and should be replaced by qualified and competent managers before it is awarded any more money.
CANHR calls on Governor Brown to swiftly appoint a new leadership team at the Department of Public Health. The new leaders should have the qualifications, experience, and will to build the Licensing & Certification Division into a premier consumer protection agency that will protect the interests of nursing home residents and patients of other health facilities throughout California.”
If you suspect that an elder is being abused, it is vital to report your concerns immediately. Under California law elder abuse can be both a criminal and civil offense. The state of California has taken a firm stance and zero tolerance policy towards elder abuse in any capacity. As part of their mission to encourage all Californians to report suspected elder abuse, the state has created The Citizen’s Guide To Preventing and Reporting Elder Abuse, which can be viewed in its entirety here. You should report suspicions of elder abuse to:
You may also wish to report your concerns to an experienced elder abuse attorney. Walton Law, APC is a San Diego boutique law firm dedicated exclusively to representing injured parties in the areas of nursing home abuse and neglect, and financial elder abuse. We only represent people – not insurance companies – and take pride in our reputation for obtaining full and fair compensation for our clients while providing personalized client service. If you believe somebody you know has been a victim of elder abuse in San Diego, CA, please call (866) 338-7079 for a free and confidential consultation.