After numerous egregious incidents of elder abuse/neglect, San Diego is taking some concrete steps towards improving conditions in care facilities and protecting the elderly. This week San Diego County officials announced numerous positive changes that would occur within the county and the state. These changes include:
- Doubling the staff to San Diego’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
- With the assistance of the Better Business Bureau, creating a rating system for assisted living homes
- Implementing a pilot project to prosecute crimes inside assisted living homes
San Diego County officials have also agreed to support the Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFE) Reform Act of 2014. The RCFE Reform Act of 2014 includes nine bills that seek to boost fines for violations, require more frequent inspections of homes, speed up the time it takes to investigate complaints, and require licensees to buy liability insurance. The acts will be heard by legislative committees on March 25, April 1, and April 8.
The experienced attorneys at Berman & Riedel, LLP have seen first hand the kinds of heartbreaking problems and issues that arise due to the negligence of assisted living facilities. We have successfully litigated numerous cases and held reckless facilities responsible. We hope that these new regulations will ensure that our senior population is treated with the care and dignity they deserve.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/Mar/11/county-approves-care-home-reforms/?#article-copy
