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.
No one should have to endure suffering at the hands of those who are hired to provide care, but in the case of Illinois nursing homes, suffering takes place nearly every day. Whether a resident is denied assistance, refused necessary medication without warrant, or left in bed until ulcers develop, abuse and neglect are present in Illinois long care facilities and may have been the cause of your loved one’s suffering.
If you suspect abuse or neglect against your family member, call Abels & Annes, P.C. today and let our lawyers provide you with a free, no obligation case consultation. We are standing by 24 hours a day toll free at (855) 529-2442 or locally at (312) 924-7575 and everything discussed will be kept confidential.
The damages that occur due to nursing home abuse are tragic. Do not let your loved one suffer any more at the hands of employees and owners. Call Abels & Annes, P.C. today and let us help you seek the relief you deserve.
Prior Blog Entry:
Employee Failed to Report Fall that Caused Broken Hip in Nursing Home Resident, Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog, published October 3, 2014.
Resource:
Bangor nursing home faces sanctions after maggots found in resident’s bandaged wound, by Nok-Noi Ricker, Bangor Daily News, published October 10, 2014.