Can You Sue a Home Healthcare Company for Abusing Your Parent?

 Posted on August 31, 2025 in Nursing Home Abuse

Families often turn to home healthcare companies to provide support for aging parents who want to remain in their own homes rather than move into a nursing facility. These services can include everything from basic help with meals and hygiene to more advanced medical tasks such as wound care and medication management. 

Unfortunately, abuse and neglect sometimes occur in these settings, leaving families wondering if they can hold the company accountable. In Illinois, the answer is yes; the law protects elderly people in need of care, and home healthcare companies may be sued if their employees abuse or neglect a client. Our Chicago home and hospice care abuse lawyers help families understand whether a suspicious situation needs a second look and, if so, what they can do to protect their loved one and hold the responsible parties accountable. 

Home Healthcare vs. Nursing Homes

While nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and rehabilitation centers provide care in a facility, home healthcare allows seniors to receive assistance in their own homes. In theory, this should provide comfort and independence. However, the fact that care is delivered privately in a home also means problems can go unnoticed longer. 

What Counts as Abuse by a Home Healthcare Company?

Abuse from a home healthcare worker can take many forms. Physical abuse may include hitting, pushing, or rough handling that causes bruises, fractures, or other injuries. Neglect can be just as harmful, especially if the caregiver fails to provide medications, leaves the client unattended when they require mobility assistance, or does not follow a doctor’s care plan. Emotional abuse, such as constant yelling, threats, or humiliation, can cause deep psychological harm even if no physical injuries are visible. Financial exploitation is also a risk, as caregivers may steal money, pressure the client to sign checks, or take valuable belongings.

These situations are not minor accidents. When a caregiver’s behavior causes injury, trauma, financial loss, or even wrongful death, the company that hired and supervised that caregiver may be held legally responsible.

Signs Your Parent May Be Experiencing Abuse from a Home Healthcare Worker

Abuse and neglect can be difficult to spot, especially if your parent is embarrassed, frightened, or unable to communicate clearly. Families should be alert for warning signs such as:

• Unexplained bruises, cuts, or frequent falls

• Sudden weight loss, dehydration, or untreated medical needs

• Fearfulness, withdrawal, or depression that is new or worsening

• Missed medical appointments or medications

• A messy or unsafe living environment, despite the presence of a caregiver

For example, if your parent is supposed to have help walking with a cane but suffers repeated falls because the caregiver leaves them to move around alone, this may indicate neglect. If you notice missing jewelry or sudden withdrawals from a bank account, financial exploitation may be occurring. If your parent’s medication is running low or missing, but your parent does not seem to be getting the medicine, your parent’s caregiver may be stealing medication. 

Who Can Be Held Liable for Elder Abuse by a Home Healthcare Worker?

In Illinois, legal liability does not rest only with the individual caregiver. The home healthcare company itself can often be held responsible for harm caused by its employees. These companies have a duty to hire qualified workers, train them correctly, and monitor them while they are providing care. If a company does not perform background checks, ignores complaints, or does not supervise caregivers, it may be liable for negligent hiring, training, or supervision.

Even if the company argues that an employee acted outside of their training or instructions, the company may still be accountable if it failed to remove a dangerous worker or failed to create a safe system for getting patients the care they need. Families have the right to pursue claims against the company itself rather than only against the individual worker.

Illinois Law Protects Senior Citizens Getting Care at Home

Illinois law provides strong protections for seniors, not only in nursing homes but also when they are receiving care in their own homes. The Illinois Adult Protective Services Act allows reports of suspected abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation to be investigated. The Illinois Nursing Home Care Act, while focused on nursing home facilities, reflects the idea that seniors deserve safe and dignified care.

Families can pursue civil lawsuits for damages even while state agencies investigate abuse. A lawsuit allows families to recover financial compensation for the harm done to their loved one, in addition to any penalties for breaking the law.

Damages You Can Pursue in a Home Healthcare Lawsuit

When abuse or neglect by a home healthcare worker causes harm, families may pursue significant compensation through a lawsuit. Damages may include payment for medical bills related to injuries, costs of moving the parent to a safer facility, or expenses for long-term rehabilitation after falls or trauma. Non-economic damages such as pain and suffering or emotional distress can also be awarded.

In tragic cases where abuse or neglect results in death, families may bring a wrongful death action. This allows recovery for funeral and burial costs, the financial support the deceased would have provided, and the loss of companionship for surviving family members. Because abuse cases often involve serious injuries or preventable deaths, settlements and verdicts in the six- or seven-figure range are possible.

Steps to Take if You Suspect Abuse by a Home Healthcare Company

If you believe your parent has been harmed by a caregiver, it is important to act quickly and do the following:

• Document your concerns with photos, notes, and copies of medical records.

• Report suspected abuse to Illinois Adult Protective Services.

• Remove your parent from immediate danger.

• Contact an experienced attorney to begin investigating the home healthcare company’s practices.

Acting swiftly not only helps protect your parent but also ensures that evidence is preserved for any future legal action.

Contact a Chicago, IL Home Health Injury and Abuse Lawyer

Abuse by a home healthcare company is a devastating betrayal of trust, but families have options. By filing a lawsuit, you can hold both the caregiver and the company accountable for the harm your parent has suffered. 

At Schwartz Injury Law, our Cook County home healthcare abuse attorneys focus specifically on cases involving nursing homes, assisted living facilities, rehabilitation centers, and home healthcare companies. With decades of experience and a track record of winning six- and seven-figure settlements, we know how to fight for justice in even the most serious abuse cases. 

When you call us, you will speak directly with a lawyer who understands what your family is going through, not just an intake service. Call 312-535-4625 today to schedule your free consultation and learn how we can help protect your loved one.