As our senior citizens age and their health starts to decline, family members and loved ones often have to make the difficult decision of whether they should be placed in an assisted living facility or nursing home.  Many questions can run through the minds of those making the decision. Will they be in danger?  Will they receive the care they need?  Is it really the right time?  In the state of Illinois, nursing home neglect is a huge threat to residents in long-term care environments.  Concerns and questions regarding long-term care are extremely valid.

Illinois nursing home negligence lawyers suggest long-term care if any of these following criteria exist:

• He or she is unable to do basic hygiene routines due to mental or physical problems
• He or she cannot bathe, use the restroom, walk without assistance or take medication
• A physician has recommended nursing home care
• He or she has problems wandering away without supervision
• He or she needs additional care that a caregiver is unable to provide

You should consider long term care if any of these criteria describes your loved one’s situation.  Chicago nursing home abuse attorneys who represent victims of Illinois nursing home neglect stress that many aging citizens need specialized care.  Some residents only have short-term needs if they broke a bone or had surgery; others have long-term needs and proper care is crucial.  Making the decision to place your loved one in a long term environment is difficult yet often necessary.

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In Illinois, nursing home neglect is becoming an epidemic.  As our elderly citizens age, the choice must often be made between placing a loved one into assisted living care or residency in a nursing home.  Advocates for the aging and disabled, along with Illinois nursing home negligence lawyers warn families of the increased possibiliy of neglect in assisted living environments.  Rather than increasing in-home care funding, the move to assisted living environments is seen by critics as a move based on political interests rather than improved care.  Abuse and/or neglect can often go unnoticed in these situations.

Residents in assisted living envirnents can typically manage basic needs such as dressing themselves, hygiene practices and eating with others.  The main problem arises when a resident needs extended care or additional assistance that only a nursing home can provide.  Caregivers can be reluctant to transfer residents because their profitability depends on occupancy and need to have a “full-house.”  According to Chicago nursing home abuse attorneys, many residents are simply not getting the proper care they need in these homes.

At first glimpse, the smaller and more intimate environment of assisted living homes can seem appealing.  With fewer residents, it might seem that residents will get better care.  Marketing tactics stress a “home-like” environment or family setting.  Keep in mind, states have very little protection for residents in assisted living environments. 

In Illinois, nursing home negligence lawyers have seen many cases of neglect occur in this badly broken system of care.  If you feel a loved one is not receiving proper care in an assisted living facility, contact a Chicago nursing home abuse attorney as soon as possible.  Neglect and abuse in these environments can be just as dangerous and not as recognizable as neglect in nursing homes.

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Searching for the right nursing home can be a difficult task in Illinois.  Nursing home neglect has become a widespread problem and although it cannot always be avoided, different tactics exist when originally choosing a home that can help protect your loved one from the possibility of abuse or neglect.  A great resource you can use is medicare.gov/NHcompare.  This informative government site gives detailed information about nursing homes; their staffing, health care status of residents, inspection results, and additional facility information.  This excellent site can also help you find nursing homes in your area.

As stated in a previous excerpt, the first step to take is picking a location that works for you or your other family members. This might not be the same location your loved one resided previously; however, once he or she is in a nursing home, the important factor is making sure someone is nearby and available to check up on he or she regularly.

Once the location is picked, it is extremely important to visit the homes you have interest in.  Illinois nursing home negligence lawyers stress the importance of keeping your eyes and ears open constantly while taking a tour of the facility.  Smell around you; if it smells bad, or like urine that is a bad sign.  Talk to residents whenever possible.  Remember, many residents will have complaints regardless of the home but listen carefully for some complaints can be seen through.  Pay close attention to the condition of residents.  They should be in around the same shape as your loved one.  Look at the activities going on in the activity room, are there supervised activities or just people sitting and knitting?  Are residents just parked in front of a TV in their wheelchair or is there a posted list of interesting activities?

Chicago nursing home abuse attorneys also recommend looking at what the staff are doing.  Are the desks friendly and staffed?  Are there nurses standing around talking while residents are ignored?  Can you find a nurse easily?  In addition, inspect all common areas and the public bathrooms.  If those places are not maintained you can almost guarantee the places that cannot be seen are not maintained.

Once you have made your choice, stay involved.  Visit regularly to make sure your loved one is doing well and not becoming victim of Illinois nursing home neglect.  If you have any concerns, take them straight to administrators.  If these concerns are not dealt with, contact a skilled Chicago nursing home abuse attorney for information on how to protect your loved one from neglect or abuse.

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Walking can often become a difficult task as people age.  Although it is normal for aging seniors to slow their pace, instability can be a sign of more serious factors.  Illinois nursing home negligence lawyers stress that unsteadiness can be a warning factor that Illinois nursing home neglect is occurring.  Family members of nursing home residents need to be aware of all potential causes of neglect and how to take action.

The first step is to schedule a visit with a physical therapist.  He or she can help to determine if a physical condition is causing the unsteadiness and instability.  Find out ahead of time if your loved one is covered through Medicare and if so whether Medicare will reimburse the physical therapy services.  Also, find out if any bladder or bowel incontinence has taken place.  Note any symptoms of dizziness or dehydration.  Another important factor to consider is the medications your loved one is taking, and if those specific medications cause dizziness or other side effects.

Keep in mind many other factors can cause walking instability.  Previous falls, heart attacks and strokes can cause many problems later on.  Blood pressure or orthostatic hypotension can also be risk factors.  Although these are all possibilities, unsteadiness can still be a warning sign for Illinois nursing home neglect.  Lack of stability when walking does not always have a direct correlation to aging residents.  If you have any concerns at all, Chicago nursing home abuse attorneys recommend taking the concerns directly to the Director of Nursing at the facility.  This matter should not be taken lightly for severe and possibly deadly consequences can result from lack of action.

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Rapid weight loss is often a common occurrence among nursing home residents.  Although the weight loss might be caused by one of many reasons, it can be a sign of Illinois nursing home neglect.  Often times, the long-term residents are not given a proper diet or suffering from some type of neglect.  In addition, it is possible he or she is not receiving proper attention from the staff or the percentage of staff to patients is too low.

One recommendation by a Chicago nursing home abuse attorney is to speak with the Director of Nursing and the facility’s dietician.  Every effort needs to take place ensuring the resident receives proper nutrition and well-balanced meals daily.  Take part in making sure your loved one is eating according to his or her physician’s recommendations as well.

Remember, many causes can lead to weight loss in nursing home patients.  The resident might have a swallowing disorder, illness-related weight loss or a suppressed appetite among other possible ailments.  Emotional distress from the living environment can affect weight loss along with physical disabilities.

If a loved one has recently moved into a nursing home and appears to be losing weight rapidly, Illinois nursing home negligence lawyers can help you take the proper course of action.  Prevention of further harm is a top priority.  Although rapid weight loss does not equate to negligence it can be a warning sign.  Contact a Chicago nursing home abuse attorney if you feel a loved one is the victim of any type of neglect or abuse.

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A great deal of questions arise when choosing a home for a loved one or yourself.  In Illinois, nursing home neglect is rising quickly and choosing a good home is more important than ever.  Location, amenities, reputation and care are also important factors to consider.  The main question however is cost and how nursing home fees will be paid for.  Although price does not always have a direct correlation to receiving proper care, it can be a factor in preventing becoming a victim of neglect or abuse.

In many cases, Medicaid will cover the entire nursing home bill if necessary; however, residents with an income must split this cost with the government.  Although these residents do not usually work, they might have income from either pensions, annuities or Social Security.  According to a Chicago nursing home abuse attorney, all of the income from an individual including retirement and disability will go to the nursing home except for around thirty dollars for extras.  This money is better known as a “personal needs allowance.”  When a nursing home resident’s spouse does not live in the nursing home, he or she is entitled to a “Medicaid community spouse minimum monthly maintenance needs allowance” which is a minimum of $1750 per month.

Once payment has been determined, the best advice from Illinois nursing home negligence lawyers is to not fall behind on  payments.  Nursing homes can lawfully evict residents for  nonpayments.  Also, take caution for financial abuse is prevalent among family members who steal from nursing home residents.  Many cases have been taken in Chicago regarding financial abuse of nursing home residents.  In these instances, the state can appoint a guardian or the nursing home to receive the resident’s income.   Also, the financial obligations do not stop at death.  Almost half of states put a lien on the homes of nursing-home residents before they die.  Although nursing homes can be costly, it is important to find a good quality home to increase your chances of proper care and decrease your risk for nursing home neglect.

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Nursing home residents are increasingly being over-medicated and put on anti-psychotic drugs without proper reason.  Often times, patients suffering from even mild cases of anxiety, confusion or dementia are prescribed dangerous drugs unnecessarily.  In Illinois, nursing home negligence lawyers believe these types of drugs are a quick fix, and that other methods to treat dementia and anxiety can be of greater assistance.

One recent case involved a patient who was put on a very strong anti-psychotic medication called Risperdal.  Over time she began to scream constantly, drool on herself, twitch and have vocal tics.  These symptoms led to additional prescriptions for sedatives.  After receiving a second opinion, she was taken off the anti-psychotic drugs and put on a drug for dementia.  All of her symptoms disappeared and her quality of life greatly improved.

Research shows almost one third of all nursing home patients have either been put on an unnecessary medication, or given too much of a drug they do need.  In Illinois, nursing home neglect and abuse cases are rising and some proactive nursing homes are taking steps to include environmental intervention with the goal of helping manage behaviors of people suffering from dementia.  Some of these interventions include:

• Calming music
• Exercise
• Bringing in pets for therapy
• Improving how the staff interacts with dementia patients
• Intellectual stimulation
• Reducing boredom

These techniques do not require heavy sedation, or medication and have been shown to greatly assist patients with dementia.  Over medicating and the unnecessary use of anti-psychotic drugs have become a quick fix for patients who are difficult to manage.  Doctors need to conduct a complete assessment of a patient and family members should be involved in making decisions about medications.  Anti-psychotic medication should only be used a a last resort.  A skilled Chicago nursing home abuse attorney can help you determine if a loved one is not given the proper care in a nursing home.

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Every year, over two million elderly citizens become the victim of some type of abuse.  In actuality, the number could be closer to five million according to Congress.  A recent study suggest that doctors report only two percent of the recorded elder abuse and neglect cases.  In Illinois, doctors are required to report any suspicion of elderly abuse or neglect among their patients to the Department of Elderly Affairs (DEA). Many of these instances happen in a nursing home to residents who are not easy to take care of.  In Illinois, nursing home neglect is continuing to rise and specialized training for doctors on recognizing signs of abuse or neglect is one way to increase protection of our elderly citizens.

A Chicago nursing home abuse attorney states one of the main reasons physicians do not report abuse cases is simply due to the fact that they do not know how to recognize signs of abuse.  Medical training does not teach how to properly notice signs and very few medical schools have specialized geriatrics training.    Another reason elder abuse and neglect goes unreported is due to the fear that the abuse will continue.  Also, as the elderly population increases, doctors are more pressed for time which leads abuse to go undetected.

According to Illinois nursing home negligence lawyers, more needs to be done to teach physicians on recognizing signs of abuse and neglect.  Not all bruises they see on patients are from rolling over in bed.  Increased education needs to be in place for physicians treating the elderly.  If you feel a loved one might be experiencing abuse or neglect that has gone unnoticed, contact a Chicago nursing home abuse attorney today.

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According to a recent report in the Wall Street Journal, nursing homes have been evicting frail and ill residents on a regular basis.  State officials stated that facilities have been evicting those who are either costly, inconvenient and residents that suffer from dementia.  A Chicago nursing home abuse attorney states there are only six reasons that can allow a nursing home to evict a resident:

1) The resident needs care only available elsewhere
2) The resident is endangering the health of others
3) The resident is endangering the safety of others
4) The resident is well enough to go home
5) The resident is not paying the bills
6) A facility closes its doors

Despite these six lawful reasons, nursing home patients are increasingly being evicted for none of these circumstances.  According to an Illinois nursing home negligence lawyer, nursing home discharge practices have become the second main complaint about these long-term care environments.  In the last ten years alone, complaints have nearly doubled.  In Illinois, nursing home neglect has also risen and the same residents who are the most likely to become victims of neglect are also the most likely to be evicted.  This practice is unacceptable and should not be tolerated under any circumstance.

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Earlier this year, the House of Representatives passed the Elder Abuse Victims act of 2009.  The main goal of this  bill is for seniors to have greater protection from elder abuse around the United States.  This important act aids in establishing specialized research and prosecution programs to help victims of elder abuse.  Furthermore, it also provides training to prosecutors and any other law enforcement agencies in relation to elder abuse prevention and protection.  Another purpose of this bill is to establish emergency crisis response teams and other programs to help put an end to elder abuse.  In Illinois, nursing home neglect has been rising and this new act will help to lower incidences of elder abuse and neglect.

One of the main highlights of the Elder Abuse Victims Act is the creation of a center for the prosecution of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation that will advise and support courts and local prosecutors such as Illinois nursing home negligence lawyers.  Also, eligible entities will arise to establish programs for people who have been victims of elder abuse.  Grants were also approved to provide support to courts and state prosecutors, along with Medicaid Fraud Control Units.

The Elder Abuse Victims Act of 2009 is a step in the right direction for protecting our beloved elderly citizens from abuse both inside and outside of the nursing home.  If you have questions or feel a loved one has been the victim of abuse, contact a Chicago nursing home abuse attorney immediately.

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