City of Oakland
Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
Every day, seniors across Oakland suffer abuse and neglect at the hands of those entrusted with their care. Our attorneys used to defend nursing homes, and we use that experience to fight for your family.
Elder Abuse in the City of Oakland
Oakland sits in the East Bay, and seniors make their homes across the city. Skilled nursing facilities, assisted living, and residential care homes are spread across neighborhoods from the hills of Montclair to the flatlands of East Oakland.
Oakland's seniors include African-American, Chinese-American, Vietnamese-American, and Latino families. Gentrification and rising housing costs have displaced many longtime residents, pushing seniors into facilities farther from family support networks and making regular visits more difficult. Language barriers in communities like Chinatown and Fruitvale compound the problem, as families struggle to understand care plans and facility reports written only in English.
At California Nursing Home Law, attorneys Michael Young and Thomas Wallin are former nursing home defense lawyers who spent years representing the very facility chains that operate across Oakland. They know how facilities and their lawyers defend these cases because they used to do that work themselves. Now they use that insider knowledge to tear those defenses apart and fight for families.
Types of Cases We Handle in Oakland
Our attorneys represent Oakland families in all types of nursing home abuse and neglect cases:
Nursing homes in Alameda County: every certified facility in the county, with its CMS star rating, inspection findings and citation history.
How to Report Elder Abuse in Oakland
If you suspect a loved one is being abused or neglected in an Oakland nursing home or care facility, it is critical to act quickly. Contact the following agencies to file a report:
- Alameda County APS (Adult Protective Services)
(510) 577-3500: 24-hour hotline for reporting suspected abuse or neglect of elderly and dependent adults in Oakland and Alameda County. - California Long-Term Care Ombudsman
(800) 831-9505: Investigates complaints about nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Visit website - California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Licensing & Certification
(800) 236-7510: File complaints about facility licensing violations. File a complaint online - Alameda County District Attorney
(510) 272-6222: Prosecutes criminal elder abuse cases in Alameda County. Visit website
Senior Advocacy & Support Organizations
These organizations provide resources, support, and advocacy for seniors and their families in Oakland:
- Alameda County Area Agency on Aging
County agency providing senior services, community programs, caregiver support, and resources for older adults across Oakland and Alameda County. - California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR)
Statewide advocacy organization providing resources, referrals, and legislative advocacy for nursing home residents and their families. - National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA)
Federal resource center providing research, training materials, and elder abuse prevention resources.
California Elder Abuse Law
California law gives nursing home residents specific legal protections. Key laws that protect Oakland seniors include:
Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act
Welfare & Institutions Code 15600-15675. This landmark California statute allows elder abuse victims to recover enhanced damages, including attorney's fees and costs. It covers physical abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, abandonment, isolation, and other forms of mistreatment.
Criminal Elder Abuse
California Penal Code Section 368. Makes it a felony to inflict unjustifiable physical pain or mental suffering on an elder or dependent adult. Violations can result in imprisonment and fines.
Patients' Bill of Rights
Health & Safety Code 1599. Guarantees nursing home residents fundamental rights including dignity, privacy, freedom from abuse, adequate medical care, and the right to voice grievances without retaliation.
Neighborhoods & Communities We Serve in Oakland
Our nursing home abuse attorneys represent families in every neighborhood and community across the City of Oakland, including: