Posted on March 26, 2020 in Nursing Home Abuse

The statistics regarding nursing home abuse and neglect are extremely disheartening. In one study, nearly 25 percent of nursing home residents reported that they had suffered one or more incidents of physical abuse at the hands of nursing home staff. In addition to physical abuse, residents may be mocked, internationally frightened, and otherwise emotionally abused. Financial abuse, also called elder financial exploitation, is also a problem in many nursing homes. Even if nursing home staff do not intentionally harm residents, understaffed facilities and lack of appropriate staff training can lead residents to be dangerously neglected.

If you have a loved one in a nursing home, you may be especially concerned about their safety during this tumultuous time. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to minimize your loved one’s changes of experiencing nursing home neglect or abuse.

Research Nursing Home Facilities Thoroughly

Oftentimes, a nursing home facility will look perfect on the outside but is actually quite inadequate on the inside. If you are considering placing a loved one in a nursing home, make sure to thoroughly research your options. Simply reading a brochure will not tell you everything you need to know about the facility. The Department of Veterans Affairs and Medicare issue ratings on the quality of nursing homes, but even these ratings may be skewed. The best way to find out about a nursing home facility is to visit the facility and talk to staff. If possible, it may also be a good idea to speak with other families with loved ones staying in the nursing home.

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 Posted on March 20, 2020 in Nursing Home Abuse

Most of us do not enjoy thinking about a time when we will be unable to care for ourselves or live alone. However, aging is a part of life. Many people will need round-the-clock care as they get older and some of those people will find themselves in a nursing home. In fact, a recent study suggests that more than half of Americans will stay in a nursing home at some point in their lives.

A team of researchers at the RAND Center for the Study of Aging looked at data collected over 18 years in the Health and Retirement Study—a projected funded by the U.S. Social Security Administration and the National Institute on Aging. The team found that, for the first time, more than 50 percent of seniors will need care from a nursing home or assisted-living facility at least once during their lifetime. The study pointed out that most nursing home stays are likely to be short and financially manageable. Only about 5 percent of adults are expected to spend 1500 days or more in a nursing facility.

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 Posted on March 13, 2020 in Neglect

The majority of nursing home residents have physical and mental disabilities that affect their ability to live independently. Residents may be living in the facility primarily because they need help using the bathroom, showering, eating, and completing other daily living tasks. Nursing home staff members have a responsibility to evaluate the degree of assistance residents need to complete these tasks and to adequately provide the level of care needed. Because many residents have health conditions that affect their ability to eat, nursing home staff should be especially aware of choking risks. When nursing home staff do not take the steps necessary to prevent residents from choking, the facility could be held legally responsible for residents who are injured or killed in choking accidents.

Staff Have a Legal Duty to Monitor Residents

One of the biggest responsibilities nursing home staff have is to supervise residents so that they do not put themselves in dangerous situations. What constitutes a dangerous situation may vary depending on the resident’s individual needs. For example, a resident with advanced dementia may need to be more closely monitored than a resident who does not have significant cognitive impairment.

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 Posted on March 06, 2020 in Sepsis

Most nursing home residents live in a care facility because they have mental and physical health problems that significantly decrease their ability to care for themselves. Residents may need assistance with daily living tasks such as bathing, eating, and using the restroom, as well as help managing their medical conditions. Nursing home staff are expected to monitor residents’ health for signs of new or worsening medical conditions. Unfortunately, many nursing homes are dangerously understaffed and residents may not be as monitored as closely as they should be. One major concern for elderly and ill nursing home residents is a condition called sepsis.  

What Is Sepsis?

When a bacterium, virus, or other disease-causing pathogen enters an individual’s body, the body’s immune system immediately starts to attack the pathogen. The healthier a person’s immune system is, the more likely it is to fight off the pathogen before it can start spreading. However, when pathogens multiply faster than the immune system can fight them, an infection can develop. Some of the most common infections that nursing home residents suffer from include skin infections caused by wounds or bedsores, diabetic wound infections, vascular ulcers, respiratory infections, and urinary tract infections.

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 Posted on February 26, 2020 in Nursing Home Abuse

When most people consider nursing home neglect and abuse, they think of abuse and mistreatment at the hands of nursing home staff. However, this is not the only way that nursing home residents can be subject to verbal and physical harm. Sometimes, a nursing home resident can suffer severe maltreatment at the hands of another resident. Nursing home staff have a responsibility to supervise residents – especially residents who have a history of violent behavior. When a nursing home resident injures another resident, it is possible that the nursing home facility will be liable for the injuries.

Keeping Residents Safe From Other Residents

Alzheimer’s Disease, dementia, and other neurological conditions are common in nursing home residents. These diseases can make a resident confused and frightened. A resident who is typically a kind, nonviolent person may lash out at another resident in his or her confusion. Nursing home staff should carefully monitor residents and take every step possible to avoid resident confrontations. When nursing home staff fail to uphold their duty to properly supervise residents and a resident is harmed as a result, the staff or facility may be legally responsible for the damages caused.  The injured resident may be entitled to financial compensation for medical expenses incurred by the attack as well as compensation for physical pain and mental suffering.

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 Posted on February 20, 2020 in Physical Abuse

Nursing home residents have a number of rights that are afforded to them by the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act, as well as other state and federal legislation. Nursing home staff members have both an ethical and a legal responsibility to treat nursing home residents with respect and to provide satisfactory medical care. Another provision contained in the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act is that nursing home residents should be free from “unreasonable restraint.” This includes both physical restraints and chemical restraints. If your loved one has been restrained through the use of unnecessary medication, he or she may be a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect.

When Can Restraints Be Used on a Nursing Home Resident?

Individuals living in a nursing home deserve to have as high a quality of life as possible. Their movements should never be restricted unless it is absolutely necessary. Both physical restraints like limb ties and chemical restraints like sedating medication should only be used if needed to protect the immediate safety of the resident. According to the law, nursing home residents should only be given medication such as antipsychotics and benzodiazepines if a medical condition necessitates it and the medication is prescribed by a physician. Unfortunately, many nursing homes administer sedating medications to residents who do not even have the condition the medication treats. They often do this in order to keep the residents docile and less likely to wander around.

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 Posted on February 12, 2020 in Nursing Home Falls

For a young, healthy person, falling down may only leave him or her with minor bruises. However, the older we get, the more serious falling is to our health. Nursing home residents are typically elderly or have disabilities that make them especially susceptible to injures during a fall. A fall that would only cause moderate pain in a 20-year-old could easily break the bones of an 80-year-old. When a nursing home resident experiences a preventable fall injury, it may be the nursing home staff who are to blame.

Falling Is a Major Concern in Nursing Homes

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 1,800 residents lose their lives due to complications from nursing home falls each year. Falling can result in lacerations, broken bones, internal organ damage, traumatic brain injuries, and more. Even if a nursing home resident survives a bad fall, he or she can be left with terrible pain that significantly reduces his or her quality of life. Due to the frailty of nursing home residents, nursing home staff have an obligation to do everything possible to prevent fall injuries. Sadly, some nursing home workers do not take this obligation as seriously as they should.  

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 Posted on February 05, 2020 in Nursing Home Abuse

Nursing home residents are often very frail and vulnerable. They may have severe physical handicaps or cognitive issues like dementia that leave them unable to care for themselves. These residents rely on nursing home staff for medical care as well as help them with daily living tasks like eating and showering.

You probably already know that nursing home workers have an ethical obligation to adequately fulfil their work duties and treat residents with compassion and respect. However, you may not realize that they also have a legal obligation to provide nursing home residents with quality care. There are several pieces of federal and state legislation that prohibit mistreatment of nursing home residents. One of the most important pieces of nursing home legislation in Illinois is the state’s Nursing Home Care Act.

Rights Afforded to Residents in the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act

The Nursing Home Care Act was adopted in Illinois after many people became concerned about the substandard level of care some nursing home residents were receiving. There were also reports of residents being severely mistreated and even abused. One of the most important components of Nursing Home Care Act is the residents’ “bill of rights.” These rights include:

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 Posted on January 28, 2020 in Bed Sores

Tragically, news stories involving nursing home abuse and neglect are not uncommon. It seems as if every week, there is another article describing the way nursing home staff mistreat the vulnerable residents in their care. According to one survey, a shocking 44 percent of nursing home residents reported that they had been abused at their facilities and 95 percent said that they had experienced neglect or seen other residents neglected. Even more disturbing, in another survey conducted of nursing home workers, more than 50 percent of nursing home staff admitted to neglecting or abusing residents within the prior year.

Staff members who neglect, mistreat, or abuse residents should be held accountable for their actions. If your loved one has suffered at the hands of nursing home staff, one way to hold the negligent party accountable is through a personal injury lawsuit.

Bedsores Must Be Treated Immediately

Decubitus ulcers, or bedsores, are painful wounds caused by unrelenting pressure on the skin. The first sign of a bedsore is often a red or purple discoloration on an area of the body which is exposed to long periods of pressure. If nursing home staff see evidence that a bedsore is developing, they should take immediate action to relieve pressure and watch for signs the wound is worsening. Bedsores that are not treated lead to open wounds which can quickly become extreme painful and dangerously infected. If the infection is not treated soon enough, it can spread to the blood or vital organs and cause death.

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 Posted on January 20, 2020 in Nursing Home Abuse

When most think of nursing home neglect and abuse, they think of a resident who is being mistreated physically or emotionally. However, these are not the only types of abuse to which nursing home residents are vulnerable. Financial abuse or exploitation of individuals staying in a nursing home is sadly common. Nursing home residents, especially those who have cognitive issues caused by age or illness, can be easily taken advantage of by ill-meaning nursing home staff. If your loved one has suffered from financial exploitation in a nursing home facility, contact a nursing home abuse lawyer to learn about your legal options.

How Common is Financial Exploitation Among Elderly and Disabled Individuals?

Unfortunately, elderly people and those with mental and physical disabilities are often targets for financial exploitation. Anyone involved in the victim’s life may be a perpetrator of financial abuse including family members, caretakers, and even doctors and nurses. Elder financial abuse is more common than many people realize. According to a report from the National Adult Protective Services Association, one in 20 elderly adults have experienced some type of financial exploitation in the previous year. Adults who need help with daily living tasks like eating and bathing and those who have cognitive impairments are the most likely to be financially manipulated.

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