September 16, 2024
Originally published by
Daily Journal
Ed Dudensing, founder of Dudensing Law and a leader in elder abuse litigation, was recently featured in a Daily Journal article covering the firm’s expansion into Los Angeles.
In the interview, Ed emphasized the firm’s ongoing commitment to advocating for vulnerable elderly populations, ensuring their rights are protected, and holding negligent nursing homes and long-term care facilities accountable.
“We are expanding into the Los Angeles area because we see a need for the citizens of LA to have access to the best of the best of elder abuse litigators in the state. I have acted as lead counsel on three of the top elder abuse verdicts in the history of the state of California ($29.1 million, $42.5 million, and $30.9 million),” said Ed Dudensing.
For more information about Dudensing Law’s Los Angeles expansion and services, visit our website.
Dudensing Law is proud to announce that we have opened a new office in Los Angeles. This expansion will extend our successful practices from San Francisco and Sacramento into Southern California.
In a piece for the Lodi News-Sentinel, Ed Dudensing discussed a lawsuit filed on behalf of Eric Moore against Arbor Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Lodi, CA. The lawsuit contends that the staff’s reckless neglect of Linda Moore at Arbor Rehab led to Ms. Moore acquiring severe pressure sores, which ultimately killed her on December 24, 2023.
Today, Law.com and The Recorder, two highly regarded legal publications, announced the finalists and winners for the 2024 California Legal Awards. Among the honorees, Ed Dudensing, founder of Dudensing Law, was recognized as a Distinguished Leader Award Winner.
In April, the Biden Administration established staffing minimums for nursing homes across the country. These regulations require 3.48 nursing hours per patient per day, including 0.55 registered nursing hours and 2.45 nurse assistant hours. In a piece for Healthcare Dive, Ed Dudensing describes the importance of maintaining these regulations as a baseline rather than a ceiling for staffing levels.
Despite the positive impact increased staffing levels have on overall quality of care, some legislators and industry executives are attempting to overturn these regulations, arguing that they will worsen workforce issues. With the aging population growing, adequate staffing is crucial.
“The introduction of these regulations is a significant stride in the right direction. In fact, these minimum requirements should serve as a baseline, rather than a ceiling, for staffing levels in nursing homes. Each resident’s needs are unique, and staffing must be tailored to meet these individual requirements to ensure the highest quality of care.”
Kyomi Williams, represented by Ed Dudensing, spoke with ABC 7 San Francisco about the death of her father Alando Williams at Windsor Healthcare Center of Oakland. Alando, a beloved Berkeley community member, was admitted to the facility in December 2022 with a clear treatment plan. In a lawsuit against the facility, Kyomi alleges staff neglected his care requirements and instead administered unauthorized doses of sedatives, such as Ativan, resulting in wrongful death.
“That’s basically chemically restraining someone, because it’s easier when they’re drugged up to supervise them. It’s a very uncompassionate way to deal with people, and it can be deadly, as it was in this case.”
– Ed Dudensing
The facility is currently managed by a parent company owned by billionaire Shlomo Rechnitz, which oversees dozens of nursing home facilities in California. Many of these facilities have recently come under scrutiny for deficient quality of care.
Alando Williams died at Windsor Healthcare Center of Oakland after allegedly being overmedicated to prevent wandering. Dudensing Law represents Mr. Williams’ daughter Kyomi in a lawsuit against the facility. Despite arriving with a treatment plan, the nursing home reportedly failed to follow necessary safety measures, opting instead to administer unauthorized doses of sedatives and opioids. Ed Dudensing spoke with The Sacramento Bee regarding the facility’s neglect and mistreatment of Williams’ father, who was known in the Berkeley community for his gentle demeanor.
Alando Williams, a long-time Berkeley staple, was admitted to Brookdale Wellness in Oakland in December 2022 and passed away less than a month later at age 64. His daughter Kyomi, represented by Ed Dudensing, alleges that, although the nursing home was aware of his medical conditions, staff administered sedatives, and left him to suffer falls, ultimately leading to his death. Ed spoke with the East Bay Times about the facility involved in this case, which has faced scrutiny for its practices and regulatory issues, including concerns over staffing and medication errors.
On June 3, CBS News covered the story of Ruby Frazier, a Dudensing Law client who was a victim of elder abuse and neglect at Oakland Heights Nursing and Rehabilitation in Oakland, CA.
Before Ms. Frazier’s admission to Oakland Heights, she was a relatively healthy 87-year-old and entered the facility in a medically stable condition and with no skin injuries.
In May 2024, Dudensing Law reached a $5.5 million settlement against an assisted living facility located in California. The settlement was on behalf of a cognitively impaired individual who, because of improper supervision and negligence, left the facility unsupervised, and died as a result.
When the 87-year-old patient was admitted to the residential care facility, she was highly functional but suffered notable cognitive impairment, including “sundowning,” a state of confusion experienced in the late afternoon and lasting into the evening. Even with noted cognitive impairment, her charts maintained by the facility did not contain a documented elopement risk nor a care plan for her cognitive decline.
