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Monte Sereno, California

Welcome to the City of Monte Sereno’s elder abuse and neglect website for the Law Offices of Ben Yeroushalmi. Our attorneys are experienced in nursing home and assisted living facility elder law cases. Long-term care facilities are responsible for maintaining the quality of life of their residents. We believe that the provision of poor quality of care to an elderly resident that results in negative health outcomes is reprehensible.

Dehydration among nursing home residents occurs far too often. According to a recent study, 6-month incidence of dehydration was as high as 1 in 3. Up to 1.4% of residents in a single nursing home are dehydrated. In Taiwan, fluid intake of 45% of residents was below the estimated requirements. Moreover, 7.8% of hospitalized older individuals are dehydrated.

Water-loss dehydration is linked to numerous conditions that are prevalent in older adults. Frailty, poor cognition, falls, delirium, disability, and mortality are just a few. There are a number of reasons why older individuals are so vulnerable. Due to age-related biological decline, older adults fail to develop thirst at the onset of dehydration. Kidneys lose their ability to retain fluid with age. Sarcopenia leads to low fluid reserves because muscle, the body’s major water storage organ, quickly degenerates in old age. Other common risk factors for dehydration in older adults is diabetes mellitus (which leads to fluid dieresis), polypharmacy and diuretics used to treat ankle edema, and excess sweating and hyperventilation due to infections or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Nursing home staff should be highly adept at identifying residents who are at risk of dehydration due to reduced fluid intake. Although certified nursing aides utilize strategies to promote fluid intake and improve fluid-intake experience, dehydration remains an important reason for hospital transition. Effective screening tools should be used in nursing homes to determine residents’ dehydration risk.

Oral fluid intake should be increased to treat dehydration. However, this may be difficult to implement for older adults with dementia or other conditions such as dysphagia. Older adults should be drinking 2 to 2.5 liters of fluid a day with 20% coming from food to meet the minimum fluid requirement. Nursing home staff can use various strategies to increase fluid intake in residents such as flavoring water (with mint leaves, lemon, or orange zest) to make liquids more attractive and offering fruits and vegetables high in water content (i.e. watermelon, cucumber, etc). Although greatly underutilized, subcutaneous infusion can be used for residents who are unable to hydrate orally. This strategy is the easiest way to give fluids in nursing homes and can significantly reduce hospital admissions.

It should be noted that because death from dehydration is not an uncomfortable process, an individual with end stage dementia or who is actively dying in a hospital from other causes should be given the choice (or their responsible party) to limit fluid intake to whatever level is adequate to the person.

If you or a loved one has been abused or neglected in a long-term care facility, please contact the Law Offices of Ben Yeroushalmi for a free consultation. We are prepared to advocate on your behalf until a just resolution is served.


Client Reviews
★★★★★
Excellent staff and the epitome of genuine, honest, and beyond helpful. I was lost and running out of time until I found Yeroushalmi law office. I am beyond grateful and had the pleasure of working with such amazing people who look out for your best interest. Anonymous review
★★★★★
Ben Yeroushalmi accepted my case with much understanding and patience. He went above and beyond with the defense lawyers to reach a fair settlement. He explained the complete case process (as I had never filed a case with anyone) Ben kept my sister and I notified of every email or correspondence he had with the opposing council. Gloria
★★★★★
Ben is an outstanding litigator, and human being. He took on our case, as if it was his own. He paid close attention to details. His guidance was invaluable. He was very clear and concise, in explaining all potential scenarios to us. He spoke eloquently, and straight to the point at all times. Ben is a true professional, with a passion for his craft. Anonymous review
★★★★★
I had a heartfelt and memorable experience with Ben , very genuine and I can tell he loves what he does. His determination shows beautifully and it is amazing. In my opinion it is very rare you find people who love what they're doing and it shows. Not wanting to get religious on an review but, God introduced me to Ben for a reason. Summer
★★★★★
Ben was wonderful. He took our case when no one else was interested or wanted way to much money. We would highly recommend Ben because he really listens and takes your situation into consideration. We settled our case and we were only unhappy with one thing and that was the confidentiality clause but that was not Ben's fault it came with the deal. June
★★★★★
All around GREAT experienced under the circumstances. Special thanks to Devon Wright she did exceptional work for our case. Anonymous review
★★★★★
Mr Yeroushalmi was our lawyer for a case involving my mother who was a victim of elderly abuse while in a nursing home. He and his team did an excellent job. My mother was able to live comfortably for the remaining years of her life due to the results of our case. I highly recommend Mr Ben Yeroushalmi. Danny
★★★★★
Mr. Yeroushalmi had provided his legal services for my father's medical injury case. Through mr. Yeroushlmi's excellent services, my family could make informed decisions during the entire course of legal proceedings. Thanks for the professional and responsive services. I strongly recommend Mr. Yeroushimi as your legal advisior. He is the one you can rely on. Thanks. Samuel
★★★★★
Mr. Yeroushalmi provide excellent representation After my husband passed away from complications due to Alzheimer's. It was a complex case and I was always informed of the progression of the case. The office staff offers the personal touch and patience with my constant phone calls and questions. I highly recommend Ben and his staff if you are looking for an aggressive attorney with high ethics and great attention to details. Terry
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