Nursing Home Abuse Archives

Murder At Chicago Area Nursing Home

In the Chicago area south suburb of Burnham, Illinois, it is being reported by the Chicago Sun-Times that a nursing home resident who died almost two weeks ago was murdered. The victim who resided at a nursing facility at 14500 S. Manistee Avenue past away from multiple injuries sustained in an attack.

He later died on April 1, 2009 at South Shore Hospital. Local authorities have ruled the death a homicide. Illinois State Police are now involved in the investigation.

The death was ruled a homicide after an autopsy was performed by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office. The victim also suffered from hypertension and diabetes.

It has not been reported yet how the attack took place. However, the fact that the attack took place at all is a strong evidence of nursing home neglect and/or abuse. It is very likely that the family of the victim will soon retain a Chicago Nursing Home Lawyer to review the case.

Illinois Nursing Home Worker Arrested For Abuse

by Dave Abels

A woman from Danville, Illinois is in police custody for alleged nursing home abuse, according to WCIA-3 News. She allegedly punched an elderly Alzheimer’s patient in the face two times at a Champaign County, Illinois nursing home. The defendant is an aide at the nursing home and works in an Alzheimer’s unit.

The nursing home worker is facing criminal charges and could be sentenced to up to five years in prison and fined up to $25,000. The Champaign County Sheriff’s Department is handling the investigation.

The nursing home’s administrator would not comment on the story, but stated the home was investigating what exactly happened. The East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging is also going to conduct an investigation into the matter. The severity of the patient’s injuries have not been reported.

If you believe a loved one in your family is a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect in the Chicago area, contact Abels & Annes for a free consultation.

Iowa Nursing Home Fined For Ignoring Reports Of Abuse

by Dave Abels

In Guthrie Center, Iowa, a nursing home has been fined $7,000 by an administrative judge, according to DesMoinesRegister.com. The fine was reportedly due to ignoring complaints by elderly residents regarding sexual abuse.

Employees of the New Home Care Center informed managers and supervisors of the complaints, and said reports were allegedly not investigated. There were 8 reported acts of sex abuse, all involving different elderly persons.

In one very alarming report, the abusing employee had blocked the door with a chair, and another employee forced their way into the room and viewed a mentally disabled resident partially undressed and bleeding from her vaginal area. The nursing home employee has not yet been criminally charged.

In 2006, state inspectors cited the nursing home for their failure to investigate this case, and Medicare and Medicaid Services later fined the home $7,000. The home had the hustpa to appeal the fine. A judge recently upheld the penalty.

In 2008, the nursing facility was fined again for insufficient supervision of residents. New Homestead Care Center is a nonprofit corporation run by a volunteer board of directors.

The alleged conduct of the nursing home in this case is reckless. The fact that the facility’s own employees were reporting the sexual abuse allegations, and the supervisors and managers ignored the issue, is offensive. It is a good guess that the residents of this home will retain a nursing home abuse lawyer. In addition to a claim for abuse, the attorney will also likely explore punitive damages against the home for its willful and wanton conduct of ignoring the reports.

If your loved one has been abused and/or neglected in a Chicago area nursing home, or any nursing facility in the State of Illinois, call Abels & Annes for a free consultation.

Sexual Abuse Reported At Jersey City Nursing Home

by Dave Abels

Law enforcement officers in Jersey City, New Jersey are investigating alleged sex abuse at a nursing home, according to NJ.com. They are looking into whether a 30 year old female resident with cerebral palsy was abused. The staff at Newport Nursing and Rehabilitation became aware of a potential problem when the patient, who needs a wheelchair to move, was found in a different room at the facility. The woman then told the staff that she had been inappropriately touched.

The alleged abuse took place at the Newport Nursing and Rehabilitation Center last Friday in the early evening. Reportedly, the police are investigating a person who visits another resident on an ongoing basis.

The National Center for Elder Abuse defines sexual abuse as sexual contact of any kind that is not consensual, or sexual contact with a person that is not capable of giving consent. They list signs of sexual abuse as bruising in the breast or genital area, the contraction of sexually transmitted diseases, bleeding in the genital area, clothing that is either torn, bloody or stained, or if the elder states he or she was abused.

If you believe your loved one has been a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect in the Chicago area, contact Abels & Annes now for a consultation free of charge.

California Nursing Home Employees Charged With Nursing Home Abuse

by Dave Abels

In Lake Isabella, California, three current and former Kern Valley Hospital District’s nursing home employees have been charged with abuse for administering drugs to elderly residents against their will, possibly costing some residents their lives, according to Bakersfieldnow.com. The three defendants include the home’s past director of nursing, past pharmacist, and current staff physician.

The criminal complaint alleges that they forcibly administered psychotropic drugs to over 20 nursing home residents at the Kern Valley Hospital District’s nursing home. A lengthy investigation found that starting in 2006, to make nursing home residents who suffered from Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia more calm and easier to manage, the former director of nursing began demanding nursing home staff to administer large doses of psychotropic drugs to them.

The attorney general’s complaint also alleges that three nursing home residents may have past away as a result of the medical complications from the forced psychotropic drugs. The director allegedly targeted patients that argued or were otherwise disruptive and difficult to care for.

The family of a 91 year old resident who died has retained a nursing home abuse lawyer and has filed a lawsuit against the Kern home. The family did not find out about the abuse until a year later when a member of the family received a tip from a nurse at the home that they should look into abuse of their loved one.

According to a National Center for Elder Abuse 2005 fact sheet, it is estimated that between one and two million people above the age of 65 have been abused by someone who provides care for them. It is also estimated that between two and ten percent of the elderly population have been abused, while at the same time only one in fourteen cases of abuse are reported to authorities.

Attorneys from our firm represent nursing home residents and families who have suffered from nursing home abuse and neglect cases in Illinois. If someone you love has been hurt by abuse or neglect at a nursing home in Illinois, please contact Abels & Annes for a free consultation.

Illinois Nursing Home Gets Bad Review

by Dave Abels

In Central Illinois, the Care Center of Abingdon nursing home has received the lowest possible score by the Center for Medicaid Services in a new five star rating system, according to Galesburg.com. The home only received one star out of five. As an Illinois nursing home lawyer, I believe that a low rating like this is an indication to look out for neglect and abuse.

The rating program evaluates almost 16,000 facilities across the country. The new system rates nursing homes in three areas; health inspections, quality measures, and staffing levels.

In the health inspections category, the Abingdon nursing home was awarded 3 out of 5 stars. However, the home received only one star in the quality measures and staffing levels areas. This resulted in an overall rating of just one star.

The report found several problems with the Illinois nursing home. First, the home allegedly either failed to hire workers with no history of abusing patients or failed to investigate reported nursing home abuse. The report states the nursing home also failed to properly administer medication to residents, failed to adequately hydrate residents with fluids, and failed to properly prevent and/or treat bed sores.

Licensed nurses in Illinois on average spend one hour and twelve minutes with each nursing home resident. The nationwide average is one hour and eighteen minutes. At the Care Center of Abington, the average nurse time with patients was only 47 minutes during a 2 week period just before the state inspection.

The CEO of the nursing home states that they have addressed the issues raised in the report. Abington is run by a non-for-profit corporation and they have 82 certified beds.

While the problems at the home have reportedly been corrected, it would be wise for family members of residents at the home to keep a close watch on their loved ones, visit regularly, and look for signs of nursing home abuse and neglect.

If you believe a family member has been abused or neglected by a nursing home in Illinois, please contact Abels & Annes at (312) 924-7575 for a free consultation.

Illinois Nursing Home Resident Freezes To Death — Chicago Nursing Home Lawyer

by Dave Abels

An 89 year old woman has died at an Itasca nursing home after she walked into the courtyard and froze, according to CBS News in Chicago. The family is outraged and demanding answers from the facility where it happened.

The victim’s daughters say she suffered from dementia and that she had a fear of being alone and in the cold. It is also being reported that the Itasca Police Department is trying to figure out how the victim who was wearing an ankle monitor and who uses a walker was able to walk through 2 doors with alarms and go into a courtyard in the middle of the night unnoticed.

The Illinois Department of Public Health website indicates at least 14 complaints were filed against the nursing home last year. The family of the victim has hired a Chicago Area Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer to pursue a civil claim against the nursing home.

If you have a loved one that you believe has been abused or neglected by a nursing home in Illinois, contact Abels & Annes for a no cost consultation.

Choosing a Nursing Home in Illinois

by Dave Abels

Deciding to place a loved one in a nursing home can be very difficult, emotionally. But once you’ve made that hard decision, a different sort of difficult choice awaits you: Which facility is right for your family? As a Chicago nursing home neglect lawyer, I know your choice affects your loved one’s everyday life, so it’s very important. If you have never had to think about this before, the sheer amount of information out there can be overwhelming.

Luckily, the Illinois and federal governments both offer a wealth of information to families struggling with this decision. If you need help right away, you can get in touch with local agencies whose job it is to help families through this stressful time. If your family is already involved with a social services agency like the county Public Aid office, it can usually point you in the right direction; social workers on staff at hospitals can also help. If those aren’t options, you can contact your local Agency on Aging in Illinois, which will give you a list of homes in your area, as well as the name of the local Long-Term Care Ombudsman, a person whose job it is to ensure that you know your rights, as well as investigate any of your complaints. This person can’t recommend a particular facility, but he or she can answer questions and guide you in your search.

The Illinois Department of Public Health and the

Oklahoma Nursing Home Aide Accused of Sexual Abuse — Chicago Nursing Home Lawyer

by Dave Abels

A Tulsa man has been arrested on charges of sexually abusing a resident of the nursing home where he works, the Tulsa World reported Jan. 12. The man, a restorative aide at the home, was arrested after a co-worker reported that he allegedly touched a resident’s genitals while giving him a bath. The alleged victim is blind and physically handicapped. The accused man was released on bail Saturday.

Any nursing home abuse is outrageous, but sexual abuse is especially shocking. Families choose nursing homes or other managed care situations because they want to do what’s best for loved ones who can no longer live independently. Putting someone you love in a nursing home is an act of trust in the home’s staff — trust that’s betrayed when staffers take advantage of a sick or disabled person’s helplessness. In addition to the physical harm it may cause for victims, sexual abuse can also cause profound emotional harm, because it is an extreme violation of the victim’s dignity.

The article doesn’t specify what the criminal penalties would be if this man is convicted of sexual abuse. But for some families, criminal penalties against an individual employee are not enough, especially if the nursing home itself tolerated or failed to stop the abuse. Fortunately, Illinois law allows families to file a Chicago nursing home abuse lawsuit, regardless of whether there is any accompanying criminal case. A nursing home abuse claim can hold individuals and companies responsible for perpetrating or allowing nursing home abuse; refund costs caused by the abuse, including the cost of new care; and compensate the victim for the physical pain and emotional suffering caused by abuse.

Ables & Annes handles cases of nursing home abuse and neglect in Illinois. Based in Chicago, we represent nursing home residents and families throughout the state who have been seriously harmed at by carelessness, recklessness or illegal behavior by a nursing home or its staff. If someone you love has been hurt by neglect or abuse at a nursing home, we would like to help. To speak with us about your legal options and your loved one’s rights, please contact us online today for a free consultation.

Tips for Spotting Problems in Nursing Homes from a Chicago Nursing Home Abuse Attorney

by Dave Abels

During the new year, many families will be visiting their loved ones in a nursing home or another assisted care facility. That makes it a good time of year to revisit the signs of abuse and neglect that families can watch for during their visits. This can be difficult, especially when the patient has trouble communicating or has a diagnosis of a mental illness. Unfortunately, some of these symptoms are very similar to symptoms of dementia; indeed, signs of abuse may be passed off by staffers as the onset of dementia. You may need to take further steps to know whether your loved one is truly being abused. The following tips are compiled from sources including the Mayo Clinic and the Rotary Club:

Signs from the patient:
• Unexplained weight loss and dehydration • Unexplained injuries, especially injuries that aren’t related to any existing medical condition • Bed sores • Denying obvious injuries or giving unlikely explanations for them • Dementia-like or childlike behaviors, like rocking back and forth • Confusion from a mentally competent person • Torn or bloody clothes • Dirty clothes and bedding • An increase in symptoms once controlled by medication • More medication left in the prescription than there should be, or new medications you don’t remember a doctor ordering • Seeming fear at the idea of ending the visit • Depression and withdrawn behavior • Missing jewelry or other objects of value • Sudden changes in financial situation
Signs from the nursing home’s staff:
• Reluctance to allow visitors • Reluctance to leave visitors alone with the patient • Speaking for a competent patient • Explanations that don’t fit with what you know about the patient • Seeming tension between staff and patients • Overworked or under-trained staff • Controlling or overly affectionate behavior by the staff • Unexplained changes in bills
• Duplicate bills • Too much concern about the patient’s finances • Displaying more wealth than they seem likely to have
If you suspect abuse, exploitation or neglect at a nursing home, the best thing you can do is report it. The Illinois Department of Public Health is responsible for investigating complaints at nursing homes; it maintains a 24-hour Nursing Home Hotline at 1-800-252-4343. If you’re sure of neglect or abuse, you should also consider pulling your loved one out of the home as soon as you can arrange it. And if your loved one was financially exploited, seriously hurt or killed by abusive behavior, you also have the right to file an Illinois nursing home abuse lawsuit. To learn more about your family’s legal rights, please contact us at (312) 475-9596 or through our Web site.