It is a difficult decision to trust the care of your loved one to a nursing home. Unfortunately, despite your best intentions to choose a quality care facility where your loved one will receive the care he or she needs, sometimes innocent and vulnerable residents experience nursing home abuse. Nursing home abuse can manifest itself in a variety of ways and may not always be immediately noticeable, but the sad reality is that far too many individuals are subjected to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, in addition to financial exploitation, in care facilities across the country.
Regardless of the type of abuse that has occurred, it is important to immediately consult with a legal professional about the situation in order to stop the abuse to your loved one and the other residents at the facility. If you or your loved one has been a victim of nursing home abuse, the Kankakee nursing home abuse attorneys of Spiros Law, P.C., can help you with your case. Contact our offices today at (815) 929-9292 to discuss your situation with a qualified attorney.
Do I Need A Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer?
We know that the choice to move a loved one into a nursing home was likely a difficult one. You trust that the facility you choose will provide them with the right care they need and will allow them to live the remainder of their life with the dignity and respect they deserve.
If you suspect that your loved one has been the victim of abuse or neglect in a nursing home, you have every right to be angry, confused, and saddened. You also have the right to take immediate action to remove your loved one from the situation and hold the parties responsible accountable for their actions or inaction. With a skilled Kankakee nursing home abuse lawyer by your side, you can seek compensation from those responsible, and put a stop to this mistreatment.
At Spiros Law, P.C., our experienced attorneys will be ready to stand up for your family. We have extensive experience dealing with these claims, and we’ll be ready to put our skills to work for you. When you work with us, you are never alone.
We respect the weight of deciding whether or not to take legal action in cases like these. Failing to take action may allow whatever harm is occurring to continue unchecked. If you have even the slightest inclination that you or your loved one are experiencing any kind of elderly abuse, do not hesitate. Call us now. Our committed and compassionate lawyers will be ready to help you get answers and justice.
Nursing Home Abuse Resources: How To File a Claim on Behalf of a Loved One
Examples of Nursing Home Abuse
If you suspect that someone you love is being abused in a nursing home, you need to take action immediately. Our Kankakee nursing home abuse attorneys can represent you in court for cases that involve a variety of situations and abuses, including:
- Physical Abuse -Maliciously causing intentional harm or injury
- Emotional Abuse-Verbal harassment, belittling, or intimidation
- Sexual Abuse – Touching, fondling, or performing any kind of sexual act on a resident without their consent or against their will
- Neglect -Denial of care and attention for their basic needs resulting in bed sores, pressure sores, or decubitus ulcers
- Medication Errors – Neglecting or giving inappropriate doses of medications that causes debilitating harm or side effects
- Theft -Financially exploiting residents without knowledge or consent. This could include stealing money, check fraud, financial schemes and other fraud
- Bed Sores, Pressure Sores, Decubitus Ulcers – Failure to move a resident routinely and responsibly could result in debilitating bedsores
- Falls – Residents must be supervised at all times, and those designated as a “fall-risk” should be responsibly assisted. This includes lowering the bed to a safe height, providing chairs for bathing, and assisting the resident when moving around the premises
- Physical or Chemical Restraints -Forcible restraint by way of either a physical hold, apparatus, or medication designed to control behavior without consent.
- Malnutrition or Dehydration -Lack or denial of access to food or water
- Choking – Ignoring special instructions regarding medication administration, or failing to support residents who have medical issues
- Clogged Breathing Tubes – Obstruction that prevents the ability to breathe, which can be caused by neglect, tubal knots, or untrained or unlicensed staff unable to clean out coagulated bodily fluids
- Sepsis – Untreated infections that turn on the victim’s body, attacking its own tissues
- Wandering and Elopement – Failure to stop a resident from leaving the facility either intentionally or without permission
- Alzheimer’s and other dementias – Willfully denying medication, support, or any other form of assistance that causes detrimental suffering for a person needing memory care support with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia
- COVID-19 Exposure Lawsuits– Failure to adhere to guidelines that create a preventable outbreak of COVID-19 resulting in serious illness or death.
In far too many instances, nursing home abuse goes unreported or underreported, leaving vulnerable nursing home residents to suffer devastating abuse at the hands of those who were supposed to care for them. As such, it’s essential that any suspicions of abuse be investigated as quickly and thoroughly as possible. If you suspect that your loved one is being mistreated in a nursing home or assisted living facility, let our experienced team go to work fighting for you right away.
Reporting Nursing Home Neglect
What Are the Signs of Abuse?
According to the National Council on Aging and the National Institute on Aging, there are several signs that abuse may be occurring. The person:
- Stops participating in the things they enjoy
- Appears unkempt, disheveled, or unwashed
- Isn’t sleeping well
- Shows unexplained weight loss
- Withdraws and shows signs of emotional or physical aggression
- Has inexplicable bruises, scars, or lacerations
- Shows signs of physical restraint or broken jewelry, glasses, or room items
- Has bed/pressure sores or ulcers from neglect
- Is deprived of medications, hearing aids, walkers, or glasses
- Received late-payment or eviction notices for unpaid rent/mortgage
- Visibly decrepit living conditions scattered with cluttered and unsanitary items
- Sudden signs of poor self-care or unpaid bills
- Abrupt changes in financial status
How Can I Prove the Nursing Home is Guilty of Negligence?
If you have noticed warning signs that indicate your loved one is being neglected, you should seek legal counsel immediately. Your attorney will know the best way to collect evidence, identify the liable parties, and hold them accountable. To get fair compensation for your claim, you will likely need to show that:
- The nursing home was responsible for providing the necessary attention and care to your elderly family member. We can prove this by presenting the care contract as evidence.
- The nursing home failed to uphold its duty to care for the resident properly. This is proven by what the nursing home did or did not do to cause the negligence. Our experienced attorneys will have the resources to collect ample amounts of evidence to prove this point.
- The patient suffered harm after the nursing home neglected to provide the proper care.
It is easy to feel overwhelmed and confused about what to do when a loved one is being subjected to the negligent actions of a nursing home. If your family is not sure where to turn for help, you should contact Spiros Law, P.C. for a free consultation. We can help you answer any questions you have regarding the unfortunate circumstances you are dealing with.
Statistics About Elder Abuse
According to the Illinois Department on Aging, elder abuse has a significant impact. In 2019 alone, there were 21,348 abuse reports. Here is what that looks like broken down:
- Stealing – 8,467
- Emotional/Verbal Abuse- 5,943
- Passive Neglect- 5,370
- Self-Neglect- 4,488
- Physical Abuse- 3,589
- Willful Deprivation- 2,261
- Confinement- 1,162
- Sexual Abuse- 706
Other numbers of note include:
- Victims of abuse have a three times higher probability of death compared to their peers who have not.
- Up to $30 billion is stolen from elderly victims every year.
- 1 in 10 Americans 60 or over have experienced some kind of abuse.
- 37% of cases are reported to have been caused by social workers or medical care staff.
Contact a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer in Kankakee
Sadly, the abuse experienced by nursing home residents often goes unnoticed by others. This is often because abuse is not always immediately evident, and sometimes victims are afraid to bring attention to the matter. Despite this, those who suffer from elder abuse deserve to gain proper compensation for the injuries they have suffered. If you or a loved one has experienced abuse from a nursing home provider, contact the Kankakee nursing home abuse attorneys of Spiros Law, P.C., today at (815) 929-9292.
