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Schedule a Consultation 309-673-0069

A Peoria Nursing Home Injury Attorney Will Pursue Justice for You or a Loved One

When you entrusted your elderly parent, spouse or other family member — or your disabled adult child, sibling or spouse — to the care of a nursing home, you had every right to expect quality care and monitoring. Your family no doubt researched the nursing home’s standards and believed the long-term care facility was in compliance with state and federal laws aimed at keeping residents safe. If you or a loved one has suffered, contact an experienced Peoria nursing home injury attorney today to help with your case. 

Why, did the nursing home allow conditions that led to your loved one’s injuries such as a fall or development of bed sores? You may have experienced guilt when you learned that your family member died of an infection caused by decubitus ulcers that were not prevented, diagnosed or treated in a timely manner.

You are right to want and expect answers regarding a nursing home injury. Parker & Parker Attorneys at Law offers free initial consultations. Let us explain how we can discover the cause of your loved one’s injuries and pursue the right legal remedies.

Whatever the circumstances and whatever your objectives in seeking legal counsel, Parker & Parker Attorneys at Law, a plaintiff’s law firm in Peoria, is available to examine the facts of the case. Over the years, this law firm has developed a strong nursing home neglect practice. We look forward to hearing about what happened to you or your loved one. We can advise you as to whether you have a valid claim and if so, we can help you determine whom to file a claim against. Who was ultimately responsible — and who should compensate you or your family? More often than not, investigations reveal systemic problems such as understaffing that create conditions leading to preventable injuries and deaths of residents.

Is This Nursing Home Abuse?

You may notice that your relative is getting frail or has an injury. Sadly, many nursing homes will respond that these are just accidents or the consequences of getting older. In other words, they will deny that nursing home abuse is going on, and you may feel uncomfortable pursuing it. You may also just think that what you are seeing is not worth reporting.

Those who are victims of nursing home abuse are often silent victims. They are unable to advocate for themselves. They are less likely to be believed. Yet, the level of abuse that people in nursing homes suffer is staggering. Nearly one in three patients at nursing home facilities report experiencing some sort of abuse.

In other words, it is always best to err on the side of caution. Take complaints seriously. 

Still, you may wonder what “counts” as nursing home abuse. Nursing home abuse is an act or acts that cause harm to a resident. That harm can include physical abuse, emotional abuse, or financial abuse. 

There can be different intentions behind the abuse. It may be due to mere negligence or carelessness. Or, it could come from malicious intent. 

What Are Some Examples of Nursing Home Negligence?

Examples of nursing home negligence such as that experienced by your loved one include:

  • Failure to keep the nursing home properly staffed with screened, competent caregivers
  • Inattentiveness or professional malpractice by a care manager or nursing home director
  • Failure to properly monitor safety of residents the night (or day) an injury occurred or was discovered
  • Medication errors or care failures originating with the supervising nurse responsible for dispensing medication and responding to emergencies
  • Failure of care managers to follow through after a doctor or therapist who visited the resident recommended a treatment or safety measure
  • Failure of the nursing home to properly hire, train or hold accountable a food services manager or supervisor
  • Failure to turn residents and otherwise prevent bed sores
  • Failure to provide adequate staffing to appropriately lift residents or accompany them to the bathroom, resulting in falls
  • Failure to properly train staff to prevent scalding during bathing

What are Some Common Warning Signs of Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect?

A nursing home resident needs their loved ones to be observant of any of the common warning signs of abuse or neglect. These include the following:

  • Bed Sores or Pressure Ulcers: These maladies can develop due to inattentive or inadequate staff who fail to turn bed-bound residents.
  • Changes in Mood or Behavior: Many nursing home residents do not inform their loved ones of abuse or neglect, often due to fear, shame or mental infirmity. Loved ones should watch for sudden behavioral changes, including emotional withdrawal, depression or angry outbursts. One “off” day is explainable, but a complete change in personality is not.
  • Unexplained Marks, Bruises or Cuts: These can be signs of restraints or other abuse. Do not just accept that your loved one has fragile skin and bruises easily.
  • Sudden Weight Loss: This can be due to poor nutrition, illness or psychological harm. 
  • Silence Around Caretakers: This is a common sign of abuse since residents may fear repercussions for informing a visitor of the abuse. Ask your relatives questions about the care they are receiving in front of staff and see what they say.
  • Unexplained Infections, Diseases or Injuries: Any unexplained injury to a nursing home resident is cause for alarm. It may also be a sign of a nursing home attempting to hide abuse or neglect. About 6,000 Illinois nursing home residents a year who were hospitalized had sepsis, a bloodstream infection. Sepsis can quickly turn fatal if it is not cared for properly. About 1 in 5 patients with sepsis did not survive.

How Should I Respond to Warning Signs of Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect? 

Document everything–even when you feel like you have nothing to worry about. Ideally, before you even notice abuse is happening, you have pictures of your loved one and their living quarters, a document about the plan of care they will be receiving, and you get regular updates. Visit frequently, if you can, and try to vary the times of day that you go. 

Immediately when you note any signs of abuse or neglect at your loved one’s nursing home, keep a log with dates, times, what you observed or heard, and names of staff. Consider placing a camera in the room, which Illinois law now allows. 

Don’t hesitate to take action immediately by elevating your grievance to the supervisor. Report, and keep a record of your report, as soon as possible. Especially when the nursing home is not offering good explanations for what you’ve observed, you should contact the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) on its hotline for abuse or neglect claims. And if your loved one has suffered a serious injury, you will need a top-notch nursing home injury attorney by your side. Get help right away.

Is Nursing Home Abuse Against the Law?

Absolutely, yes. Nursing home residents are protected on both the Illinois state and federal levels. Illinois has a Nursing Home Act that affords many protections. Here are some of the rights:

  • Right to Privacy
    • Residents must be treated with respect and given a right to their personal privacy.
  • Right to Private Communication
    • This is the ability to be in communication with who they want.
  • Freedom From Restraint
    • Any physical or chemical restraint that is unnecessary is illegal. 
  • Financial Freedom
    • Those of sound mind are able to handle their own financial affairs.
  • Freedom Over Personal Property 
    • Nursing home residents do not lose the ability to have their own property. 

Do I Really Need An Attorney?

We get it. Your loved one is injured and now you may need to go to court on top of it. Please do not let that dissuade you from getting quality representation. Nursing home injury cases require a great deal of knowledge, experience and expertise. Unlike the typical personal injury or medical malpractice case, the opposing side is not just represented by an insurance company but often multiple adjusters who monitor the case and trial. They will do whatever they need to protect their interests. Unrepresented individuals tend to be overpowered and give up the case. The cases can be complicated and lengthy, lasting several years. Due to these challenges, it is critical to evaluate a nursing home injury accurately at the beginning. 

Report Nursing Home Abuse to Authorities

In addition to cooperating in a review by our law firm, we may recommend that you call the hotline for the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to report neglect or abuse. For more information, request a consultation with a lawyer at Parker & Parker.

We are Here to Give You a Voice After a Nursing Home Injury or Fatality

Your main motivation in looking for a trial lawyer handling nursing home neglect cases may be to prevent future such occurrences in the same facility. We share this cause. If our law firm represents you, we will work hard to give you a voice as we help you pursue an injury claim or wrongful death claim.

Responding to Warning Signs of Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect

When you note any signs of abuse or neglect at your loved one’s nursing home, keep a log with dates, times, what you observed or heard, and names of staff. Visit frequently, if you can, and try to vary the times of day that you go. Consider placing a camera in the room, which Illinois law now allows. 

Don’t hesitate to take action immediately by elevating your grievance to the supervisor. Especially when the nursing home is not offering good explanations for what you’ve observed, you should contact the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) on their hotline for abuse or neglect claims. And if your loved one has suffered a serious injury, you will need a top-notch nursing home injury attorney by your side.

Nursing home injury cases require a great deal of knowledge, experience, and expertise. In contrast to the typical personal injury or medical malpractice case, multiple adjusters who monitor the case and trial often represent the opposing side rather than just an insurance company. The cases can be complicated and lengthy, lasting several years. Due to these challenges, it is critical to evaluate a nursing home injury accurately at the beginning. 

Report Nursing Home Abuse to Authorities

In addition to cooperating in a review by our law firm, we may recommend that you call the hotline for the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to report neglect or abuse. For more information, request a consultation with a lawyer at Parker & Parker.

Contact a Peoria Nursing Home Injury Attorney at  Parker & Parker if You See the Warning Signs of Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect

If you know of or suspect nursing home abuse or neglect suffered by your loved one, contact a Peoria nursing home injury attorney at Parker & Parker to discuss legal options. To schedule a meeting with a Peoria nursing home injury attorney, contact us today at 309-673-0069 or complete our online intake form.