Category: Out-of-State Nursing Homes

Elderly Americans are some of the most vulnerable members of our society and they deserve to be protected and cared for in their senior years. Many families with older relatives face the decision of whether to put their loved ones in a nursing home when declining health or a change in circumstances means that an alternative means of care may be necessary. This decision can be agonizing as loved ones consider which home is the best for their family member’s needs, but once that person is placed, the need to evaluate a home may slip from their minds.

This is a reasonable approach as many feel that once their loved one is placed in a home, they are confident that appropriate care will be provided. Too often, residents are faced with nursing home abuse and neglect, causing serious or even permanent injuries. This abuse can be hard to determine as many victims are not in a position to report the mistreatment or have no one to report the abuse to as many nursing home patients do not have regular contact with non-employees.

Victims of nursing home abuse in Illinois are entitled to seek relief for their damages and their injuries through the use of a civil claim. In the tragic instance where a patient is killed due to negligence or abuse, the right to seek relief may pass to the victim’s surviving family members, though no amount of relief can ever be considered adequate in these cases. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer or a nursing home attorney may help you understand your legal rights if you suspect nursing home abuse or if you believe neglect may be harming your loved one.

Police in Washington arrested the 67-year-old owner of a nursing home after a hidden camera reportedly showed the man sexually assaulting an 83-year-old patient of the home who was stricken with dementia. According to reports, the family members of the victim suspected wrong doing and had the hidden camera placed in the woman’s room to monitor the care she received. When the footage was reviewed, the family members contacted police, who initiated charges.

It is not clear what charges are pending against the owner at this time but authorities confirmed that the nursing home at issue housed 12 patients, all of whom were being relocated following the arrest of the owner.
Continue reading “Hidden Camera Reportedly Catches Nursing Home Owner Sexually Assaulting Dementia Patient”

In most cases, elderly and disabled adults are moved to nursing homes when their need for care exceeds what can be provided at home, by another facility, or by family members. With the need for care being at the forefront of the decision to place a loved one in a home, many family members believe and assume that their loved one’s needs will be tended to and that their loved one will get a level of care that is both needed and deserved by the staff at a nursing home.

Unfortunately, in Illinois and in every other state in the country, that is not always what happens. Nursing home abuse and neglect pose a constant threat to those who reside in long term care facilities and to their well-being. When an employee, an owner, or another in a position of authority within a home cuts corners, skips safety protocols, or otherwise puts their own interests before those of a patient, injuries may result. These injuries may be an aggravation to a preexisting condition like an infection or a wound or they may be a new injury like a broken bone or bruising.

It can be difficult to determine whether abuse or neglect has harmed your loved one if your loved one resides in a nursing home because these facilities often try to protect their own interests while hiding the truth. That is one reason that speaking with a personal injury lawyer may help you understand your options if you suspect neglect, including whether your loved one or the members of your family have a valid claim for financial relief.

An incident out of a Maine nursing home has triggered federal sanctions and may lead to other charges, according to local officials. Reports indicate that a male resident with a chest wound indicated that his wound was itching on September 7, 2014. Bandages were removed and the site was inspected by a nurse who reportedly witnessed a maggot on the resident’s wound, between the resident’s body and where the bandages had been moments earlier. Inspectors believe that employees at the home allowed flies to enter the facility by the use of broken windows and/or opening windows without screens and that one of these flies was able to lay at least one egg on the patient at issue.

Officials with the State of Maine have recommended fines stemming from this incident in the amount of $500 per day that the facility was out of compliance for its use of faulty windows. Since the incident occurred, the facility reportedly has taken steps to replace all faulty widows at issue and to replace all missing screens. It is not clear whether the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will agree to this punishment or will suggest an alternative course of action.
Continue reading “Federal Sanctions Pending at Nursing Home after Maggot Found in Resident’s Wound”

In 2008, 3.2 million Americans lived in nursing homes across all 50 states. That same year, 900,000 people lived in an assisted living facility. The majority of these residents, 2 out of 3, were female, and 6 out of 7 were aged 65 years or older. These numbers mean that a significant portion of America’s elderly population is confined to long term facilities, including nursing homes, and that those people rely upon others for their daily care.

The residents of these homes should not have to worry about whether they will get the medication they need, whether the employees of the home will care for them as they deserve, or whether they will be the victims of abuse. Unfortunately, these are concerns that many, if not most, nursing home patients face on a daily basis. A 2000 study by K. Broyles revealed that 44 percent of long term care facility residents reported being abused and that 95 percent of residents reported either being neglected or seeing another resident neglected.

Nursing home abuse and neglect is continuing daily in Illinois homes and likely will continue as the American population continues to age and place greater demand on long term care facilities. Too often, this abuse goes unreported or unnoticed by those other than the victim, meaning that abusers are free to continue their wrongdoing and victimizing others. Consulting with a personal injury lawyer in the Chicago area may help you understand the implications if you suspect abuse of a family member or a loved one or if have noticed harm.

In New York, a licensed practical nurse has been arrested and charged with a felony count of endangering the welfare of a nursing home resident whom the nurse was caring for at a local nursing home. According to officials, the employee came upon an 89-year-old resident on the floor, moaning in pain in January of 2013. The resident reportedly suffers from Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease and relies on the care provided by the employees at the home for all of her daily needs.

Upon finding the resident, the nurse allegedly did not check the woman’s vitals or call for help. Instead, she determined that the resident was uninjured and moved the resident to a wheelchair. Later tests revealed that the resident broke her hip in the incident and was in excruciating pain at the time the nurse moved her.

Protocol required the nurse to inform a superior of the resident’s fall and to allow a supervisor to determine whether or not the resident needed medical attention. The criminal charge against the nurse indicates that her actions delayed necessary medical treatment and violated the duty of care she had toward the resident.
Continue reading “Employee Failed to Report Fall that Caused Broken Hip in Nursing Home Resident”

Before placing a loved one in a nursing home, most people consider their options. They look into one or more homes to determine which will provide the care needed by their family member. When the loved one moves into a nursing home, people believe that basic needs of the resident will be met and that the resident will not be harmed while there. Unfortunately, nursing home abuse and neglect happens all too often in Illinois, leaving residents injured or even dead as a result.

When abuse or neglect occur in a nursing home and a resident or patient suffers as a result, that victim may be entitled to relief through a civil claim for damages. These claims can enable a victim to recover for damages that occurred, including medical expenses, pain and suffering, and the permanency of any injuries. Speaking with a lawyer who handles nursing home cases in Illinois may help you understand whether your loved one is entitled to relief for injuries sustained while in a nursing home.

Nursing home neglect can appear in a number of ways but one common form that has been receiving increased publicity lately is the failure of nursing home employees to provide medication to residents. In some cases, a mistake or error may occur, preventing medication from reaching its intended resident. In others, though, an employee may intentionally withhold medication from a resident, either to punish or harm the resident or so that the employee can use the medication for personal use. Regardless of the reasons behind the actions, withholding medication is a serious threat to the safety of any affected patient and can lead to conditions including a heart attack, stroke, embolism, severe pain, loss of mental faculties, infection, or even death.

A former nursing home employee in New York recently pleaded guilty to withholding medication from a 73-year-old resident who is blind and suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. As part of a plea deal, the former employee admitted to violating the state’s health laws in a willful manner and was sentenced to a fine and community service. The man was originally charged with four felonies related to the care of two patients of the New York nursing home but those charges were dropped in exchange for the former employee’s plea of guilt. Additionally, the man was forced to surrender his nursing license as a result of the charges.
Continue reading “Nursing Home Employee Pleads Guilty to Withholding Medication from Resident”

No one should have to face abuse from those charged with their care, but unfortunately for many residents of nursing homes, that threat is a constant. Nursing home abuse and neglect is an ongoing, and according to some experts, a growing problem faced by the elderly in this country. Though this threat is widespread, attention to the issue remains slight and many are unaware of the dangers posed to those who enter nursing homes for care and treatment.

When abuse of a nursing home patient occurs, unfortunately nothing can undo the hurt, pain, and injuries that result. However, the laws of every state, including Illinois, allow the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect to seek compensation for their injuries against those who are responsible, whether they are employees, owners or operators of the home. Speaking with an injury lawyer who represents nursing home patients may help you understand whether you or your loved one has a valid claim for recovery.

A terrible instance of sexual abuse has been reported out of Minnesota and allegedly admitted to by the man believed to be responsible. Authorities say that an 89-year-old resident of a senior care facility reported that she was sexually assaulted by a 30-year-old male employee at her home and while in her bed.

The victim reported the incident to other staff members at her home as well as local police but she did not receive treatment. Instead, she was placed in a mental health portion of a local hospital for three days. After her period of time in the hospital, a nurse with the Department of Health looked into the victim’s accusation and determined that the woman had in fact been raped and had been denied medical treatment and counseling. According to the woman, she was watching TV in her bed when a male employee came in to give her medication. Among the medication was a narcotic that left the woman in a slightly incoherent state of mind, during which time the employee raped her. When confronted with the accusation, the employee allegedly admitted to both drugging and raping the victim as she claimed. The employee has been criminally charged in the matter and has pleaded not guilty.
Continue reading “Elderly Woman Drugged and Raped in her Senior Living Facility”

As Americans continue to age, many are forced to turn to nursing homes for help in their elder years, either for short-term stays or for the duration of their lives. While the specific needs of nursing home patients vary, the general need is always the same: patients need help and care and that is what they expect when they become nursing home residents. Often, that care is provided and a resident is treated with respect, either recovering from a short term illness or living out the remainder of their lives with dignity. But too often, nursing home neglect occurs, leaving fragile residents at the mercy of those who are supposed to care for them, often leading to injuries among home residents or even their deaths.

When nursing home abuse or neglect causes a resident to become injured, or worse, to lose his or her life, that resident or the resident’s surviving family members may be entitled to relief. Speaking to an injury lawyer in Illinois who has experience handing these types of cases is the best way to learn about what legal options may be available if you suspect nursing home abuse has injured your family member.

Unfortunately, when the worst cases of neglect or abuse happen, a patient can pay the ultimate price. It appears that happened in Long Island recently at the hands of several nursing home employees. Recently, nine of the employees were arrested for their roles in the death of a 72-year-old patient.

Authorities allege that a 72-year-old woman was transported to the nursing home to recover and rehabilitate after a a hospital stay related to breathing problems. With the patient came a doctor’s orders that she be hooked up to a ventilator to make sure the woman was receiving enough oxygen. However, according to officials, a nurse failed to read those orders and did not use a ventilator, allowing the 72-year-old woman to suffocate to death over a period of two hours while alarm bells sounded. Reportedly no employees investigated the alarms even though they indicated warnings that the patient was struggling to breathe.

After the death of the woman, authorities allege that eight other employees helped cover up the incident by telling the woman’s family that she died of a heart attack and failing to report the death to the proper local authorities. Nine employees have been charged in the incident with one nurse facing charges of criminally negligent homicide.
Continue reading “9 Face Charges for Nursing Home Death”

Experts believe that nursing home abuse is one of the most underreported forms of abuse in the nation today. Often, the victims of these incidents may have no one to turn to for help or no means to report their alleged abusers, which in some cases allows the abuse or neglect to continue. Both abuse and neglect of nursing home patients have the ability to lead to serious injuries or even to death of the resident which is why it is so important to remove those responsible for the abuse as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, once abuse has occurred, there is nothing that can undo the actions of those responsible. But the laws in Chicago and in Illinois do provide victims with the right to seek relief against those who caused their injuries, including any pain and suffering that had to be endured. Speaking with an injury lawyer who handles nursing home abuse cases is the best way to learn about what legal options may be available if you suspect your loved one has suffered at the hands of a nursing home.

Earlier this week, the former director of nursing at a Tennessee nursing home pleaded guilty to a single count of giving a false statement regarding medical care. The plea was part of a deal reached with prosecutors and the former director, who previously was facing eight counts of the same charge in relation to her position with a nursing home. She will be sentenced in May and faces up to five years in prison plus a fine and supervision for the crime.

The charges were brought after an investigation at the nursing home looking into potential wire fraud, healthcare fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering. During the course of the investigation, the director was charged in relation to the care, or lack of care, received by two residents. Both residents of the nursing home had pressure ulcers, commonly called bedsores, that were not being treated properly. One had a pressure sore that was infected and covered by bandages filled with feces. The other resident had a pressure ulcer so severe that live maggots were found inside of it. Maggots feed only on dead tissue which indicates the serious condition of the ulcer in this case.
Continue reading “Director of Nursing Home Pleads Guilty to Care-Related Charges”

Many Americans require medical care at the end stages of their lives, leading some to take residence in a nursing home or assisted living facility. In most cases, these homes provide both the medical care and the day-to-day help needed by the residents as they live out the remainder of their golden years.

These facilities are governed by state and federal rules, regulations, and laws that require a certain standard of care be provided. Failing to provide the minimum level of care can result in fines or a loss of license for a facility. But if an error occurs that is negligent or intentional and a resident suffers as a result, criminal charges can be filed and the victim or the victim’s family may be entitled to financial compensation for their damages. A nursing home lawyer can tell you what rights you may have.

Negligence in a nursing home can take many forms and can occur in any place, including Chicago or other areas of Illinois. According to authorities, an incident of neglect recently occurred in an assisted living facility in Wilmington, North Carolina and may have led to the death of a patient.

Early reports indicate that a female patient fell first on April 29 and then again when she fell out of bed on either April 30 or May 1, yet the woman was not taken to a doctor. Rather, she remained at the home until May 2 when she finally received medical attention. At that time, an emergency room doctor determined that the woman suffered a broken neck in a fall though it is not clear which one. The woman died several days later.
Continue reading “Assisted Living Home Fined After Fall Leads to Resident’s Death”

Sexual abuse and assault is a criminal offense that can leave a victim with serious, often permanent injuries. Many areas of sexual abuse are recognized and some receive news coverage but one type of sexual abuse that often goes unreported or not publicly discussed is sexual abuse of elderly adults in nursing homes and other assisted living facilities.

Yet some instances are still reported, reminding the public that loved ones are not necessarily safe simply because they are in the care of a home or facility. Nursing homes are only as safe as they are made by the staff employed there and the owners of the home. Many homes work understaffed or with staff that is not properly trained either due to a labor shortage or as a means to increase profits. Yet other homes have been known to hire individuals with undesirable backgrounds and allow them to work with the most vulnerable of residents.

It is unclear whether an Ohio nursing home should have known of a problem with a 22-year-old employee before he was hired, but now, it appears that the man should never have been around elderly patients. A grand jury just indicted the man, formerly an employee at a Deer Park nursing home, for sexually assaulting a 92-year-old female patient at the home where he worked in late November. According to officials associated with the case, another employee entered the woman’s room and noticed signs of sexual assault. The defendant was in the room’s private bathroom and was the only person besides the 92-year-old victim present.

The physical and mental state of the victim before the alleged abuse are not known at this time, but often the victims of nursing home abuse are unable to defend themselves or unable to report the mistreatment. This makes them easy targets for all types of physical and mental abuse as perpetrators are known to seek jobs where they have easy access to their victims.
Continue reading “Nursing Home Employee Charged with Raping Elderly Patient”

Employees at nursing homes in Illinois and other states have many jobs. They may be required to help a patient move from a bed to a wheelchair and back. They may be required to help serve meals or to help disabled patients eat. Others are in charge of distributing medication to the nursing home residents, many of whom have complex dosing requirements and need medication as specified intervals.

The families of those nursing home residents like to believe that the employees and owners of the nursing homes are making sure that all residents are properly cared for and that their basic needs are met daily. Yet too often, stories emerge making it clear that this is not the case. In Chicago nursing homes and others across the nation, some employees are skipping critical care steps, ignoring patient needs, or otherwise acting negligently while performing their jobs. This is leading to serious incidents that leave the nursing home patients injured, or in extreme cases, dead.

It appears that an employee of a New York nursing home may have done just that, skipping a medication round that one of the residents desperately needed. Authorities have brought charges against the female employee alleging that she failed to give prescribed medication to a patient and that she forged documents to cover up her actions. Further claims indicate that the same employee may have skipped blood glucose screening on at least four residents which is needed to determine the proper dose of medication received by each.

The employee has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is currently awaiting trial in New York.
Continue reading “Nursing Home Employee Accused of Withholding Vital Medicine from Patient”