According to authorities, an 84-year-old dementia patient recently went missing from a New Athens nursing home for more than an hour. Staff at the New Athens Home for the Aged reportedly discovered that the senior citizen was missing from the South Johnson Street facility around 7:15 am. According to New Athens Police Department Detective Ray Wilson, about 100 community members searched for the nursing home resident after a police bulletin was issued. The elderly man was allegedly found walking along a roadway in a pair of flannel pajamas. A passing motorist purportedly picked the senior citizen up and took him to a Freeburg gas station where she notified police of his whereabouts. Wilson stated although the dementia patient appeared uninjured, he was transported to a local hospital for examination.
Skilled nursing facilities that are certified to accept Medicare and Medicaid funds are subject to both state and federal laws. Despite that most nursing homes in Illinois accept federal monies they are not required by law to do so. Whether or not a skilled nursing facility is certified, all nursing homes that operate in the State of Illinois are always required to provide quality resident care in compliance with state law. This includes ensuring that an adequate number of direct care staff is on hand to ensure potentially tragic situations like this situation do not occur. The Illinois Department of Public Health currently regulates the quality of care provided in all Illinois nursing homes.
As loved ones age or become disabled, many Illinois families turn to skilled nursing facilities for assistance. Even the most dedicated relative will have a difficult time providing around the clock care for an often unpredictable dementia patient. Nursing homes should have the additional resources required to monitor and maintain the safety of dementia and other patients in place. When a long-term care facility fails to ensure at-risk patients like this one are safe, the institution may be guilty of negligence. If your loved one was injured as a result of skilled nursing facility negligence, you should contact a qualified Illinois nursing home abuse and neglect lawyer.
If someone you love was the victim of neglect or abuse while residing in an Illinois nursing home, you should give the experienced attorneys at Abels & Annes, P.C. a call at (312) 475-9596. Our knowledgeable Chicago area nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers are available 24 hours per day, seven days per week to help you protect the rights of your elderly and disabled friends and family members. For a free consultation with an experienced advocate, please contact Abels & Annes, P.C. through the law firm’s website.
More Blogs:
Deficiency Reports for Nursing Homes in Illinois and Missouri Now Available Online, Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog, February 20, 2013
West Suburban Senior Services Opens Elder Abuse Forensic Center in Forest Park, Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog, February 15, 2013
Additional Resources:
Lost nursing home resident found safe, Belleville News-Democrat
New Athens Man Found After Wandering From Nursing Home, by Vera Culley, fox2now.com