Posted on January 17, 2022 in Nursing Home Falls

Winter weather is notoriously bad in the midwest, and although Chicago is allegedly known as “The Windy City” for political reasons, the nickname suits the weather as well. Repeated days of snow, rain, and ice followed by weeks of sub-zero temperature and zero sunshine can make sidewalks hazardous to everyone. 

Residents of nursing homes are particularly vulnerable to slipping and falling, even on safe, stable surfaces. But when nursing home caretakers fail to manage nursing home outdoor premises, frail elderly residents can be put at risk of serious injuries when they fall on slippery surfaces. If you have a loved one in a nursing home who has recently suffered from a fall, an experienced Illinois nursing home attorney may be able to help you. 

Common Injuries from Nursing Home Slip and Fall Accidents 

Elderly residents often have lower bone density and are more prone to hurting themselves when they fall. They are also at greater risk of falling because of difficulty walking and maintaining proper balance. When nursing home residents wander outside or are allowed to walk outside with visitors, winter weather can increase the risk of slipping and falling. 

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 Posted on January 11, 2022 in Nursing Home Abuse

Unsanitary conditions in nursing home kitchens can run the gamut from disgusting to downright dangerous. Undercooked meat, bugs in food storage areas, unsanitized cooking equipment, and food left unrefrigerated for too long all constitute food safety violations–but more importantly, they allow for dangerous pathogens to develop. 

Nursing home residents are often in frail health and are particularly vulnerable to the risks of improper food handling. Because food poisoning may sound more quotidian than bedsores and sepsis, it tends to get less attention–but it can be just as dangerous. If your loved one has experienced sickness, hospitalization, or death in their long-term care facility because of foodborne illness, an experienced nursing home injuries attorney may be able to help. 

Know the Dangers of Foodborne Illness to Elderly Residents 

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 Posted on December 27, 2021 in Nursing Home Abuse

Nursing home residents often depend on their caregivers for help with every aspect of their life. When nursing home staff are negligent, careless, or overworked, nursing home residents can suffer. Families who put their trust in a nursing home may be shocked to discover how poorly their loved one is treated, or, worse, find out about negligent treatment when the consequences have already been serious or even fatal. 

One of the most common types of injuries caused by nursing home negligence is severe burns. Even small activities like drinking from a too-hot cup of soup can cause an elderly body serious injury; this is all the more true with major daily activities like showering in water that is too hot. If you are concerned that nursing home negligence led to your loved one getting burned in their nursing home, read on. 

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 Posted on December 16, 2021 in Nursing Home Abuse

Residents of nursing home facilities live there because they are unable to properly care for themselves. Physical illness, Alzheimer’s disease, and other age-related health problems make residents particularly vulnerable and dependent on the nursing home for many things – food, personal cleanliness, emotional security, and physical safety.

Not all accidents or injuries are preventable, but when injuries occur, nursing homes are responsible for treating wounds and keeping them clean. Without an appropriate standard of care, wounds can fail to heal and even get worse. In the worst cases, nursing home neglect can cause improperly treated wounds that can lead to local infections, the onset of sepsis, and even fatalities. 

Common Wounds Seen in Nursing Home Residents

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 Posted on December 13, 2021 in Nursing Home Abuse

Few people want to think about themselves or anyone else suffering from a fractured or broken bone, but they are common injuries that result from daily living. For most people, communicating the pain of a bone injury is easy to do because such an injury is difficult to mistake for anything else. 

Some bone fractures, however, do not necessarily have outward indicators that would let an observer immediately know that something is wrong. This can be especially hazardous to an elderly nursing home resident who may struggle to communicate that they are in pain. Nursing home staff and managers have a responsibility to ensure that any bone fractures are quickly diagnosed and treated, but they may fail to do so for many reasons. If your loved one is in a nursing home and you fear they may have suffered from abuse or neglect due to a failure to diagnose a bone fracture, read on. 

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 Posted on December 09, 2021 in Nursing Home Abuse

The decision to place a loved one in a nursing home is never easy. Most people wish that they did not have to move their elderly or disabled loved one out of their home and into a long-term care facility, but they often do not have another choice. Nursing homes are filled with residents who need more extensive medical care and help with daily living tasks than a family member could handle on their own.

Many nursing home residents are quite frail, and when nursing home staff do not properly care for the residents or meet their medical needs, the results can be deadly. If your loved one passed away while staying in a nursing home and you believe the death was due to negligence or abuse, do not hesitate to contact a qualified nursing home abuse injury lawyer for help.

What is the Definition of a Wrongful Death?

Because many nursing home residents are elderly or in poor health when they arrive at the facility, it is not surprising that many residents pass away while staying in the facility. Consequently, it can sometimes be difficult to know if a loved one’s death was preventable or not. The term “wrongful death” refers to deaths that happen as a result of the negligent or intentionally harmful acts of another. The Wrongful Death Act in the Illinois Complied Statutes technically defines a wrongful death as a death resulting from “a wrongful act, neglect or default.” This means that a nursing home staff member’s action or inaction may be to blame for the death of a resident. Other times, it is the nursing home facility itself that is the subject of a wrongful death lawsuit.

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 Posted on November 15, 2021 in Neglect

In addition to providing the health, nutrition, and daily schedule for nursing home residents, nursing home staff are also responsible for providing adequate security and supervision. Nursing home residents are particularly vulnerable to crime because their physical frailty and decreased mental faculties can make them such easy targets. 

Additionally, security and supervision are essential when nursing home residents with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia are at risk from wandering within or away from facilities. If nursing home residents do not take reasonable measures to prevent this behavior, residents can be injured, abused, lost, taken advantage of, or even killed. Proper security and supervision are intertwined in Illinois nursing homes, and the lack of one may signal the lack of the other. 

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 Posted on November 12, 2021 in Nursing Home Abuse

Although it is difficult to countenance anyone taking advantage of a vulnerable senior citizen, elder abuse happens every day in Illinois nursing homes. Nursing home staff or other occupants may take advantage of a senior resident’s imperfect mental health or memory to steal money from them or manipulate them into spending money in a way that seems, at least superficially, to be voluntary. 

The financial abuse of nursing home residents has long-term consequences for the well-being of the victims. Years of hard work and savings can be decimated by the behavior of one unscrupulous individual. If you believe that your loved one has been victimized by financial abuse in a nursing home or residential care facility, a qualified Illinois nursing home abuse attorney may be able to help you hold the perpetrator or the facility responsible. 

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 Posted on November 02, 2021 in Nursing Home Abuse

Despite promising research in disease treatment and prevention, Alzheimer’s disease continues to be a major cause of illness and death in America. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, one in three seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another dementia, and dementia kills more people than breast and prostate cancer combined. 

It is perhaps no wonder that with such a serious disease present in such large numbers, seniors who suffer from Alzheimer’s face a higher likelihood of being abused or neglected in their nursing homes or residential care facilities. Because victims of Alzheimer’s are often confused or disconnected in their thinking, it can be very difficult to ascertain the nature or perpetrator of abuse, even when Alzheimer’s patient abuse is clearly taking place. 

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 Posted on October 27, 2021 in Nursing Home Abuse

For most of us, there is nothing more horrific than someone taking advantage of an elderly person in their care - especially if that person is someone we love, like a parent or grandparent. Unfortunately, nursing home abuse takes place every day in residential care facilities in Illinois. 

Sexual abuse of elderly nursing home residents is one of the most pernicious and damaging types of abuse, and it is important to hold abusers accountable. Although nursing home residents and their families have a right to expect safe and standardized care, when nursing home staff either perpetrate abuse or fail to prevent it, an experienced attorney can help family members seek justice and prevent such abuse from happening again. 

What is Sexual Abuse of Elderly Nursing Home Residents? 

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