Two Orange County nursing homes have been fined by California health regulators for nursing home neglect that led to the deaths of two patients. According to a news article in The Orange County Register, Alamitos West Health Care Center in Los Alamitos was fined $100,000, the maximum penalty, after an 82-year-old resident was diagnosed with severe dehydration and acute kidney failure. The patient's fluid intake was supposed to have been monitored regularly. But apparently her nursing home records show inconsistent documentation of fluid monitoring. The woman died in a hospital on Christmas Day. The nursing home has appealed the fine.

Also, Huntington Valley Health Care Center in Huntington Beach was fined $80,000. In that case, a nurse incorrectly believed that a patient had a "do not resuscitate" order. The nursing home staff failed to perform CPR in a timely manner as the patient was having a heart attack. When paramedics arrived, it was too late and he could not be revived. In fact, the patient's records showed that he wanted life-sustaining treatment in case of an emergency.

My heart goes out to these victims of nursing home neglect. I offer my deepest condolences to the families of these patients who entrusted their loved ones to the care of these nursing homes believing that they would be taken care of. I sincerely hope that these Orange County nursing homes are not only made to pay the penalties, but also face legal action from the families of the deceased victims.

Based on this newspaper report, both of the nursing homes completely and callously disregarded doctors', family members' and the patients' own wishes. It is the duty of nursing home staff to make sure that the patients' medical needs are met. Nursing homes charge a lot for the services they provide and they owe their customers the duty to provide quality care. Even if these nursing homes had a good record prior to these incidents, it's no excuse for what happened. Wrongdoers or negligent parties--whoever they are--must be brought to justice.
The families of these deceased victims would be well-advised to retain the services of an experienced Orange County nursing home abuse lawyer, who will investigate these violations and make sure that the negligent parties and wrongdoers are held accountable for their actions. Nursing home abuse and neglect are significant issues not only in Orange County, but nationwide and these tragedies are only symptoms of a larger problem. Families who have lost loved ones as a result of nursing home neglect or abuse may be able to file a a href="http://www.bestattorney.com/wrongful_death.html" target="_blank"> wrongful death claim against a nursing home and seek compensation for medical or funeral expenses, loss of wages (if applicable), pain and suffering and other related damages.

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