A member of the Spiros Law, P.C., team, Patricia Gifford, recently spoke with Fox News reporters in Illinois about family rights and new litigation regarding rights for patients in elder care facilities.
The interview comes in light of recent news regarding the case of Channing Butler, who is accused of conspiring to record sexual assaults on patients at Brickford Living Memory Care in Champaign County. Judge John Kennedy ruled against the defense’s request to lower the $1 million bail. Butler has pleaded not guilty to the charges, but investigators claim that Butler intended to record two men having sex with elderly patients. According to reports, one of the two men approached police to warn them of Butler’s plans.
Attorney Patricia Gifford urged victims and their families to contact the appropriate authorities at the Illinois Department of Public Health if they suspect abuse or neglect has taken place or may take place. Gifford also discussed new laws that enable families to be proactive when it comes to documenting violations. “There’s legislation that has been passed that allows families to put cameras in residents’ rooms. It’s a great thing for family members and the facility to be able to document more of what’s going on.”
