Category: Nursing Home Abuse

The purpose of nursing homes is to provide high quality care to the elderly its disabled residents. According to the Illinois Abused and Neglected Long Term Care Facility Residents Reporting Act, they have a duty to do so.

However, abuse and neglect are common in such facilities. If you have elderly parents in a nursing home, you should be vigilant to ensure they are not being abused. Here are some signs you should look out for.

Bruises and Scrapes

Scrapes and bruises can easily appear on thin skin. If your parents have been handled roughly by the arm or torso, resulting marks should be apparent. Pay extra attention to their ankles, upper arms and wrists. These areas are the first areas to be grabbed during an assault or rough handling.

Unexplained Fractures

The elderly have frail bones which can break due to accidents or assault. If your elderly loved one is being neglected, chances are they may suffer fractures by falls or accidents, which could have been avoided with care. Common areas you should focus on include the hips, elbows and wrists.

Broken Possessions

Broken possessions such as glasses can be a sign of elder abuse as well. For instance, a broken denture can be the result of a strike across the face or a fall from being pushed or neglected. Check if your parents have unexplained cuts and bruises on their face.

If the nursing home personnel become defensive when you confront them about alleged abuse issues, chances are they are trying to hide their neglect and abuse. Also, if you don’t see any visible signs of abuse, but your parents are fearful or are easily startled by loud noises, you should still be concerned. Take as many pictures as you can as evidence and record any details you think are important when you visit your parents in the facility.

Once that is done, hire an attorney from the Law Offices of Robert T. Edens. We have years of experience representing elderly victims who have been abused by negligent nursing care facilities in Chicago, Waukegan, Woodstock, Libertyville and Antioch, IL. Call us today for a free consultation and set your mind at ease knowing your elderly parents will receive the compensation they deserve. We have an excellent track record of winning such cases and can promise a favourable outcome for yours as well.

When you place your elderly parents in a nursing home, you do so with peace of mind they will be taken care of as their mental/physical faculties fail. That is the duty of care these facilities have to uphold according to the law and if they neglect this law, they can be held accountable for their actions.

Unfortunately, these cases are more common than we realize because most care facilities are understaffed and many don’t screen employees before hiring them. As a result, the elderly and helpless residents get stuck with caregivers who are not experienced enough to take care of their unique needs, leading to serious injuries and neglect.

However, this does not excuse the degree of care nursing homes should maintain as according to the law. Any breaches in that care can be held up in court and the facility can be sued for damages. There are several legal ways you can prove nursing home facilities are guilty. You will need to prove:

• The nursing staff breached their care contract by violating the duty of care they were supposed to maintain.
• The resident suffered under their care.
• The nursing home did something they shouldn’t have or failed to do something they should have, resulting in injury or suffering by the resident.
• The nursing home failed to monitor staff and provide adequate security to its residents.
• The nursing home failed to conduct enough background checks of its staff.
• The nursing home staff failed to use equipment appropriately due to lack of training or gross negligence.

If the senior resident has been abused by members of the care facility, you will have to prove the specifics of the harm they suffered. This includes physical/mental pain and suffering, the emotional distress they went through and the cost of the treatment the resident went through to recover from the abuse and neglect.

Some documentation that can prove useful in such cases includes:

• Pictures of the bruises and injuries suffered by the resident.
• Pictures of the medication that were prescribed or given to the resident.
• Diaries maintained by the resident or by their close family members.

Besides compensatory damages, under certain circumstances – the court can also award punitive damages. To really strengthen you case, bring an expert witness in such as a doctor who specializes in treating elderly patients and who can prove the injuries the resident suffered were due to neglect.

Elderly parents and grandparents often suffer in silence in nursing homes because they don’t want their families to worry or be a burden. If you think they are behaving differently or appear reserved and drawn in, you should start your investigation ASAP and hire an attorney from the Law Offices of Robert T. Edens. We can give you a free, honest, no-obligation consultation, which can give you a clear picture of your case. We represent clients in Chicago, Waukegan, Libertyville, Woodstock and Antioch, IL so get in touch with us today.