California Nursing Homes Owned by Sun Mar Health Care Cited by the California Department of Health

Elder Abuse Alleged at 17 California Nursing Homes

February 21, 2008 — Sun Mar Health Care Inc. and its 17 California nursing homes are the focus of a class action lawsuit filed in Southern California’s Orange County Superior Court. The complaint alleges Sun Mar Health Care failed to provide services paid for by residents and elder abuse within their nursing homes due to substandard care and violations of patient’s rights.

Marketed and advertised to potential tenants as having superior skilled nursing care, the complaint states that facilities operated by Sun Mar Health Care are purposely underbudgeted—failing to provide appropriate staff levels or current training.

Notices of deficiencies and violations of patient rights, including elder abuse, have been assigned to all California nursing homes operated by Sun Mar Health Care from the California Department of Health. California facilities located in Santa Ana, Riverside and La Habra have all received 19 notices or more in a 12–month period for substandard care and violation of residents’ rights.

What is Elder Abuse?

Elder abuse in nursing homes can occur in a multitude of forms. Learning to recognize abuse is the first step to protecting your loved ones. Elder abuse can be widespread, including:

• Physical abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Emotional abuse
• Neglect
• Financial exploitation

The occurrence of such situations is hard to believe, but it is a problem and does happen. The allegations of nursing home abuse against Sun Mar Health Care are another example of this ongoing problem.

Your Loved Ones and Nursing Home Abuse

If you are concerned over possible neglect or abuse of a loved one, start by documenting your complaint and expressing your concern to the care facility and its supervisors. In many cases, you may have to go outside the long–term care system for help with a complaint about an elderly relative’s care in a nursing home, residential care or assisted living facility. Ombudsmen, state agencies and Adult Protective Services can all be of assistance.

If these routes have failed, your best recourse may be to get professional legal help. Although no case has guaranteed results, a good attorney can often cut through red tape and get better responses concerning the care of an elderly relative. See Elder Abuse and Neglect Cases for more information.

At Brayton Purcell, we are concerned with the level of care in nursing homes. We can help you with problems such as nursing home violations, nursing home abuse and inadequate pain management issues. If you have questions about a nursing home and your legal rights, or the rights of an elderly loved one, please feel free to contact us for more information.

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Three California facilities received 19 or more notices in a 12–month period for substandard care.

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