Perhaps the most important rights guaranteed all Americans are our civil rights as citizens of this country. In Illinois, nursing home negligence lawyers say residents’ rights at a basic citizen’s level are often violated. If you are a nursing home resident, it is crucial you understand your rights as a citizen as well as a facility resident. You do not lose your rights as a citizen of Illinois and the United States because you live in a long-term care facility.

If you believe any of your basic rights have been violated, you should contact a Chicago nursing home abuse attorney immediately.

Your rights include the following:

• Your facility must let you see reports of all inspections by the Illinois Department of Health, from the last five years and the most recent survey of your facility along with any plan that your facility gave to the surveyors saying how your facility plans to correct the problem.
• If a court of law has appointed a legal guardian for you, your guardian may exercise your rights for you.
• If you have named an agent under a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, your agent may exercise your rights for you.
• You have freedom of religion. At your request, the facility must make arrangements for you to attend religious services of your choice as long as you agree to pay any cost. The facility may not force you to follow any religious beliefs or practices and cannot require you to attend any religious services.
• You have the right to vote for the candidate of your choice.
• You have the right to participate in social and community activities that do not interfere with the rights of other residents.
• You have the right to participate with other residents in the resident advisory council. Your facility must respond to concerns raised by the council.
• You have the right to meet the Long Term Care Ombudsman, community organizations, social service groups, legal advocates, and members of the general public who come to your facility. Representatives of these groups may come to your facility to give you services, tell you about your rights, or help you assert your rights.
• You have the right to present grievances to your facility and to get a prompt response. Your facility may not threaten or punish you in any way for asserting your rights or presenting grievances.

Finally, you have the right to present grievances to outside organizations and advocates including the following agencies:

• Long Term Care Ombudsman, 1-800-252-8966 (voice and TTY);
• Equip for Equality, Inc., for persons with mental illness or developmental disabilities, 1-800-537-2632 (voice and TTY);
• Illinois Department of Public Health, 1-800-252-4343 or 1-800-526-0844 (voice and TTY).

Illinois nursing home neglect should become a concern of the past. We owe our aging citizens the utmost respect and dignity. If you believe your rights as a citizen have been violated, contact an Illinois nursing home negligence attorney today.

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