Elderly - Geriatrics - Aging - Caregiving Expert Witnesses

Elliott M. Stein, MD is a Geriatric Psychiatrist with over 40 years of experience caring for the elderly. Dr. Stein is Board Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in General Psychiatry (October, 1979), and in Geriatric Psychiatry (April, 1991; Re-Certified, December, 2001, and in April, 2011). He is licensed to practice in California and Florida. Dr. Stein was the Director of Psychiatry at the Jewish Home of San Francisco from 2010-2020, and the Medical Director of their Geriatric Psychiatry Hospital. He has treated older individuals, typically people who have complex combination of psychiatric and medical problems. Dr. Stein has been a Member of the Task Force on Testamentary Capacity and Undue Influence, for the International PsychoGeriatric Association.

Dr. Stein is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine. He is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry.

He is available to serve as an Expert Witness, do legal and forensic consultation, record review, and assessments concerning Psychiatric issues in older individuals. Dr. Stein offers his services to attorneys for both Plaintiff or Defense.

Areas of Expertise:

• Contested Wills and Trusts
• Testamentary Capacity, Undue Influence, Insane Delusions
• Geriatric Competence
• Dementia and Delirium, Alzheimer’s Disease
• Geriatric Psychiatry Evaluation and Treatment, Psychiatric Medication, Psychotherapeutic Issues
• Depression and Anxiety Disorders
• Relationship Problems between the Elderly and their Adult Children
• Aging and Mental Disorders
• Geriatric Psychiatry issues concerning Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Independent and Assisted Living Facilities
• Medicare Psychiatric Services Coding and Documentation

View Dr. Stein's Consulting Profile.

Cynthia (Cyndy) Minnery RN, BSN has over 30 years of experience caring for the elderly within Acute Care, Skilled Nursing, and Assisted Living Facilities. Ms. Minnery has worked as a Director of Quality Compliance in Skilled Nursing and Home Health Care. She now owns Residential Care Facilities and is familiar with the Standards of Care expected of caregivers in these settings.

Ms. Minnery has years of experience and training in care of the elderly and common disorders like Alzheimer’s Dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, and other Geriatric Syndromes. She currently serves on the San Diego Dementia Consortium board of directors and Clinical advisory committee.

Cyndy Minnery has been an expert witness for elder abuse cases within Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFE) since 2012. Her reputation for providing exceptional care as an RCFE owner/administrator is well known within San Diego county, caring for residents with the highest level of compassion. Ms. Minnery provides medical record review and other services to attorneys for Plaintiff and Defense.

Areas of Expertise:

Residential Care for Elderly Assisted Living Nursing Homes Title 22 Regulatory Compliance Standards of Care

Elder Abuse Bedsores Wound Care Falls Medication Management

View Cyndy Minnery's Consulting Profile.

David Friedler, MS, MPH, CNHA, LMHC, Is an expert in wrongful injury, abuse and neglect in health care. His experience is in the regulatory standard of care in Nursing Facilities, Psychiatric and Substance Use Rehabilitation as well as Adult Foster Care. He holds MPH and MS degrees and has worked clinical and administrative roles for four decades. He has extensive experience with survey compliance, Federal and State regulation, JCAHO and CARF accreditation, OSHA compliance and policy and procedure adherence. Areas of Expertise:

• Long Term Care
• Nursing Homes
• Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation
• Behavioral Health / Psychiatric Care in Drug Treatment Facilities
• Psychiatric care in Nursing Homes, Group Homes

Cruzora Physician Solutions, PLLC are board-certified, licensed and actively practicing Physicians and Life Care Planners. Cruzora specializes in Medical-Legal Documentation Review and Assessment Reports. We pride ourselves on the highest quality medical reports and expert testimony. 

Litigation Support: Cruzora provides objective, defensible and unbiased opinions in a clear and easy-to-understand format. We work with clients, plantiff and defense attorneys, insurance and government agencies. As physicians, we can independently formulate medical opinions and conclusions. 

Cruzora physicians are well-versed on standards of care and delivery of medical services within the healthcare community. Our services are available nationally and internationally.

Medical-Legal Services:

Life Care Planning due to Catastrophic and Non-Catastrophic Injuries Medical Cost Projections Medical Records Review with attention to Causation and Liability Life Expectancy Hospital Institutional Medical Errors

Third Party Physician Documentation Reviews Determination of Required Medical Services Reasonableness of Past Medical Care Future Medical Costs Associated with the Elderly Expert Witness Designation