Rockford Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Abuse and mistreatment occurring in nursing facilities are pervasive problems throughout our society. Families who have placed or are considering putting a family member in an assisted living facility should be aware of the nursing home abuse types, such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, and neglect.

Tragically, the assisted-living facilities and nursing homes entrusted to provide proper care and ensure the well-being of our elderly loved ones often fail to carry the residents' best interests at their weakest and most vulnerable moments.

If your disabled, infirm, or elderly loved one was mistreated, injured, or died unexpectedly from neglect while living in a Rockford nursing facility, let our Illinois personal injury law firm protect your family's rights from nursing home neglect. The network of nursing home abuse lawyers provides legal advice to many victims who have suffered abuse or gross negligence injured by those in charge of providing care.

The affiliate Illinois personal injury attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center, LLC represent the interests of the elderly.

Call our Rockford nursing home abuse lawyers at (800) 926-7565 (toll-free phone number) or use the contact form today for immediate legal advice and schedule a free consultation. All confidential or sensitive information you share with our legal team remains private through an attorney-client relationship.

Nursing home residents are some of our society's most vulnerable members. When they cannot care for themselves, they rely on the staff at nursing homes to provide them with the necessary care and support.

Not all Rockford nursing home staff provide the level of care that is required – or expected – of them. This can lead to severe injuries or death for residents. If you suspect your loved one is a victim of nursing home neglect, it is important to take action. Speak with an experienced Illinois nursing home abuse lawyer about your case and find out what steps you can take to protect your loved one.

Unfortunately, there are no definitive statistics on nursing home injuries and deaths in Rockford, Illinois. However, according to the National Center for Elder Abuse, around 2 million Americans are victims of elder abuse each year. Abuse can take many forms and the number of victims is growing every year.

Nursing home abuse can often be difficult to spot. Residents may be afraid to speak up, or they may not even realize that they are being abused. However, there are some signs that you can look for if you suspect that your loved one is a victim of nursing abuse.

• Physical Abuse - Unexplained physical injuries on your loved one, such as bruises, and abrasions, especially around the wrists and ankles, could suggest your loved one has been physically restrained. Broken bones, sprains, and dislocations, black eyes, are all typical signs of physical mistreatment.
• Sexual Abuse - Unfortunately, sexual elder abuse is common since these patients are weaker and more vulnerable. Whether it is unwanted touching, forced nudity, or sexual photography, all forms of sexual elder abuse can often lead to emotional trauma.
• Emotional Abuse - It is not easy to identify because it leaves an emotional scar and leads to behavior changes. Psychological abuse includes, but is not limited to insults, harassment, yelling, and threats.

If you notice your loved one resides in and has suffered from Rockford nursing home abuse, do not hesitate to report the issues to the nursing home, get your family somewhere safe immediately, and call the authorities to prevent further abuse. The entire process can be exhausting, but protecting the ones you love is crucial.

Unfortunately, with abusive behaviors being widespread in nursing homes, it is essential to know what to look for when you visit your loved one in their care home:

• Cuts and bruises
• Broken bones
• Unexplained injuries
• Traumatic brain injury
• Significant weight loss
• Bedsores
• Torn or stained clothing
• Constant falls
• Poor hygiene
• New or worsening infection
• Unexplained STDs
• Behavioral changes
• Malnutrition and Dehydration
• A rapid change in body weight
• Lack of Hygiene
• Change in routine or daily living activities

In all care facilities, the best interest of your loved one should be the focus at all times. It is essential to know that residents are entitled to certain rights that the facilities and staff must uphold and that nursing homes are responsible for informing residents of their rights in writing and in a way they will understand.

Some Of These Rights Are:

• Access to Social Services: The nursing facility must provide the resident with access to any needed social services they request, such as counseling to help solve problems with other patients, legal and financial professionals, and planning of their discharge.
• Spend Time with Visitors: Residents have the right to have visitors at any time they want and to spend private time with them. Visitors may include personnel that helps with the resident’s health, legal, or social services, as long as the visit does not interfere with the provision of care and privacy rights of other patients.
• Be Free From Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse: Residents have the right to be free from verbal, sexual, physical, and mental abuse.
• Make Complaints: All patients have the right to complain to the nursing facility staff, or any other person, without fear of retribution. Complaints would most likely be made to the director of nursing or administration, who must take action. If the resident feels as if they have suffered nursing home abuse, mistreatment, or neglect, it is the procedure to report this to the nursing facility, their family, the local Long-Term Care Ombudsman, or State Survey Agency. Injuries related to abuse, neglect, or mistreatment are reportable once the facility reaches the reasonable cause threshold and should be reported within 24 hours of reaching that conclusion.
• Proper Medical Care: Residents have the right to be fully informed about their health status in a language they understand. They have the right to be involved in the choice of their doctor and to participate in the decisions that affect their care, which consists in taking part in developing the care plan.

You never want to be in a situation where you have missed out on something important, but taking note of what's happening and reporting it can help make sure that nothing else bad happens. It may sound difficult at first because we're talking about confrontational situations with people who may not treat your loved one well or fairly-but this will only get worse if action isn't taken soon enough.

Health care professionals, such as doctors and nurses, must provide adequate medical care for anyone with medical issues. When the care they provide falls below established standards of care, and an injury occurs, health professionals can be held accountable.

Not every negative effect is the result of negligence by a medical provider. Knowing there is a difference between adverse outcomes and negligence is essential.

• Not using medical equipment and devices responsibly
• Infection
• Stroke
• Not documenting the patient's activities and procedures
• Sepsis
• Failing to follow the established standard of care
• Nerve damage

Medication errors in nursing facilities happen for various reasons. Often, the underlying cause is negligence, wrongdoing, or lack of appropriate training for the individuals working in nursing homes. The consequences of medical errors can sometimes be fateful and irreversible. It can have devastating effects on someone’s family. It can include:

• Failure to check medical records for drug allergies
• Administering the wrong drug
• Over-medication or under-medication of patients
• Giving medication to the wrong person
• Improper preparation of medication
• Improper administration of medication
• Administering expired medication

If the time comes when a loved one has suffered from nursing home negligence, a nursing home attorney with experience in medical malpractice cases, personal injury claims, or forms of nursing home neglect, makes all the difference when you are seeking justice for your family member.

Any staff member, resident, or family who is an active part or doesn’t do anything to stop the situation in nursing home neglect or abuse may be liable for its consequences. Commonly, the defendants may be one or more of the following:

• Ancillary staff members
• Owners and administrators of nursing homes
• Supervisors aware of the abuse or those involved in managing and hiring employees who participate in the abuse
• Employees or family members who perpetrate abuse or neglect
• Caregivers who come into the facility to provide care, such as nurses, or doctors
• Other parties who suspected the abuse but did not report it

While the care facility and other parties may not be directly involved in the abuse claim, they should always be attentive to the situations occurring to people under their care. They could still be held liable if a staff member abuses one of their patients.

When your loved one has suffered abuse, it is important to file a personal injury claim. By looking back at records and gathering as much evidence as possible about the nursing home abuse will help strengthen your case.

Damages Can Include:

• Medical expenses
• Physical therapy
• Cost of home care or care at another facility
• Counseling services
• Disfigurement
• Past and future impairment of the ability to enjoy life
• Shortened life expectancy
• Pain and suffering
• Burial and funeral costs in cases of wrongful death
• Punitive damages

The award-winning Rockford, Illinois, nursing home law firm has assisted thousands of clients following injuries resulting from nursing home negligence or reckless behavior.

The nursing home abuse attorneys you choose will have specialized knowledge and experience working on cases like yours. The affiliate nursing home abuse lawyers at Nursing Home Law Center, LLC can discuss your legal options on ensuring your elderly loved one is no longer neglected or abused.

The team of experienced lawyers is committed to aggressively fighting for your loved one's rights and recovering the maximum amount of compensation available on your loved one’s behalf. Contact our elder abuse law firm today by calling (800) 926-7565 or through an online contact form to schedule your no-obligation, free consultation for your case review. 

Personal injury attorneys provide immediate legal representation, advice, and counsel without upfront fees. All our nursing home abuse and neglect cases are handled on a contingency fee basis where there is never any cost to begin a claim.

• World Health Organization - Elder Abuse
• National Coalition on Aging - Senior Citizen Abuse