Nursing Home Abuse & Elder Abuse Statistics in Bakersfield
30+
Skilled Nursing Facilities (Kern County)
3,200
Licensed Beds (Kern County)
2 years from discovery
EADACPA SOL
High CNA vacancy rates — competes with ag and oil industries for workers
Agricultural Workforce
Courts in Bakersfield, California
Kern County Superior Court
1415 Truxtun Ave, Bakersfield, CA 93301
U.S. District Court — Eastern District of California, Fresno Division
2500 Tulare St, Fresno, CA 93721
Hospitals & Trauma Centers in Bakersfield
Kern Medical Center
1700 Mount Vernon Ave, Bakersfield, CA 93306
Adventist Health Bakersfield
2615 Chester Ave, Bakersfield, CA 93301
Liability Considerations in Bakersfield
Nursing Home Abuse in Bakersfield and Kern County
Bakersfield's nursing home sector operates in a labor market where CNA wages compete with agricultural, oil production, and logistics employment — industries that offer comparable or higher pay with less physically demanding working conditions. This dynamic contributes to high CNA turnover and chronic staffing challenges that are among the primary drivers of nursing home neglect claims in the region. CANHR data shows a higher-than-average proportion of facilities with below-average CMS inspection scores in Kern County. Kern County Superior Court juries are typically more conservative than coastal California venues, but egregious cases with clear OBRA violations and compelling medical evidence of preventable harm produce meaningful settlements and verdicts under EADACPA.
Your Legal Team
James Nakamura
Partner, Nursing Home & Long-Term Care Practice
Los Angeles, CA
James Nakamura has dedicated his 17-year career to holding California nursing homes and assisted living facilities accountable under the Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act (EADACPA), one of the nation's strongest elder protection statutes. His undergraduate background in gerontology gives him deep substantive knowledge of the aging process, common medical conditions in elderly patients, and the regulatory environment governing long-term care. James has successfully challenged arbitration clauses in nursing home admission contracts on multiple occasions, preserving his clients' right to jury trial in cases involving significant damages. He has recovered more than $95 million for clients across California, with particular expertise in cases involving large corporate nursing home chains with histories of repeat CMS deficiency citations. He is a member of the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR) advisory panel.
Education
- J.D., Loyola Law School, Los Angeles (2009)
- B.A., Gerontology, University of Southern California (2006)