If you suspect that your loved one is suffering from abuse or neglect in an Illinois nursing home,contact our law firm right away. We’ll take immediate measures to help prevent further harm and make sure your loved one is safe. Then, we will help you hold the healthcare professional and/or facility accountable for this unconscionable behavior.
Our nursing home abuse lawyers at DePaolo & Zadeikis are committed to building a safer future for elderly people in long term care facilities. We are the voice of Chicago’s most vulnerable, and we want to help you and your loved one take a stand against abuse and neglect.
Early intervention is crucial in combatting nursing home abuse, so don’t hesitate to contact our attorneys for help. Your vigilance can make all the difference for your loved one’s well-being.
Don’t let your loved one suffer in silence. Contact our nursing home abuse attorneys right away. Call 312-263-7560.
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Recognizing the red flags that may indicate nursing home abuse or neglect has occurred, or is occurring, is the first step in protecting your elderly loved one from harm. Trust your instincts. If you notice any changes in behavior, appearance, or overall well-being, make sure to investigate the cause.
While some signs of elder mistreatment are obvious, subtle clues often lurk beneath the surface. Vigilance and keen observation are your most powerful tools in ensuring your loved one’s well-being.
Abuse and neglect often manifest in physical signs that can be easily mistaken for normal signs of aging or disease. Examples include unexplained bruises, bedsores and skin infections, malnutrition, or poor hygiene.
Listen for clues from your loved one. A hesitant mention of rough handling, for instance, might be a sign of maltreatment. Be especially mindful of changes in behavior, like unexplained withdrawal, fear, anxiety, or sudden personality shifts.
The comfort and well-being of our loved ones in nursing homes is paramount. Yet, the specter of abuse and neglect lingers in the long term care setting, inflicting emotional and physical harm upon our most vulnerable loved ones. Recognizing the signs of maltreatment are just the beginning. Understanding how to get help, and taking decisive action, can make a world of difference. If you suspect wrongdoing, we recommend that you take the following steps.
If suspicions of nursing home abuse or neglect arise, act immediately. Document observations with dates, times, and detailed descriptions. Talk to your loved one with empathy and reassurance. Take photos of torn or soiled clothing, bruises, cuts, or other injuries, and other evidence that demonstrates that abuse or neglect may exist.
If your loved one is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1 and report the abuse to the Chicago Police Department. Otherwise, you can report the maltreatment by contacting the Illinois Department on Aging, filing a complaint with the Illinois Department of Public Health, or calling the Department’s 24-hour Nursing Home Hotline at 800-252-4343.
Getting an attorney on your side right away is vital to preserving evidence and ensuring the safety of your loved one and other nursing home residents. Our experienced nursing home abuse lawyers will investigate the nursing home to uncover any wrongdoing by nursing home staff members, help you find safe solutions for the care of your loved one, and guide you through the legal process to ensure abusers are held accountable for their behavior.
There are many forms of abuse that occur all too often in nursing homes in Chicago.
In a nursing home setting, physical abuse encompasses any intentional act that inflicts bodily harm or pain on a resident. It can take various forms, ranging from seemingly minor instances to severe violence. Examples include:
Emotional abuse doesn’t leave physical scars, but this hidden form of abuse chips away at victims’ spirits, causing sadness, anxiety, fearfulness, and depression. Examples of emotional abuse include:
Cognitive impairments that often accompany aging and disease put nursing home residents at a higher risk of suffering sexual abuse. Engaging in any form of non-consensual sexual activity with a nursing home resident is abuse, even if no physical contact is made. This includes:
Willful deprivation can lead to severe physical and emotional injuries for nursing home residents. Withholding personal property, necessities, and essential care can cause dehydration, worsening medical conditions, malnutrition, anxiety and depression, and even death. Examples of willful deprivation include:
Confinement and various types of restraints are often misused in nursing homes. When confinement, physical restraints, or chemical restraints are used for convenience, as a means of control, or to combat labor shortages, it’s a form of abuse.
Financial abuse in nursing homes involves unauthorized or coercive actions to exploit residents’ financial resources. Perpetrators may misuse funds, coerce residents into signing financial documents, or steal personal belongings. Vigilance and reporting are crucial to safeguarding vulnerable individuals from this form of exploitation in care facilities. Types of financial abuse include:
With labor shortages in the healthcare profession at all-time highs, nursing homes are prime breeding grounds for neglect. Even when it’s unintentional, nursing home neglect can lead to physical and emotional harm for vulnerable individuals in long term care facilities. Behaviors that constitute neglect include failing to:
While both may involve harm to residents in nursing homes, nursing home abuse and neglect are distinct from medical malpractice. Here’s why:
Medical malpractice:
Nursing home abuse and neglect:
Therefore, nursing home abuse and neglect fall under elder abuse laws, not medical malpractice. However, if the harm stems from negligent medical care within the facility, a medical malpractice claim might be possible alongside elder abuse claims.
Nursing home residents and/or their personal representatives can file a lawsuit against a nursing home in Illinois.
Generally speaking, victims and their families have just two years from the date of the incident, or when you should have known about the incident, to file a lawsuit for nursing home abuse in Illinois. Some circumstances can impact the statute of limitations, however. Your injury attorney will help you understand the filing deadline that applies to your case.
Chicago’s nursing homes are some of the worst in the nation. There are, however, Chicago nursing homes that provide proper care and treatment to residents. Here are several ways to find out about nursing homes with complaints in Chicago:
Government Resources:
