Springfield Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

The ever-growing number of people reaching their retirement years is contributing to a shortage of available nursing home beds in many parts of the country, including Illinois.

The spiraling demand has placed a burden on residential nursing facilities for the aged, which have become overcrowded and unable to accommodate all the needs of their residents.

Unfortunately, the Springfield, Illinois, nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center, LLC have seen a significant rise in the number of civil cases involving mistreatment, neglect, and abuse in Illinois nursing facilities.

Was your loved one mistreated, injured, or died unexpectedly from neglect while living in a Springfield nursing home? Let our affiliate Illinois personal injury attorneys protect your family's rights.

One of our practice areas is personal injury, including nursing home abuse and car accidents. Contact our Springfield nursing home abuse lawyers at Nursing Home Law Center (800-926-7565) today to schedule a free consultation to discuss filing a claim for compensation against the nursing home and their insurance company.

All information shared regarding the circumstances in nursing homes and possible elder abuse is part of the attorney-client relationship and remains confidential.

Springfield is the Illinois state capital and home to more than 116,000 residents, nearly 19,000 seniors over 65. This number is likely much higher when factoring in the number of elderlies that reside in Decatur and other surrounding cities and towns.

The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regularly inspects and publishes data on every certified nursing facility in the US for compliance with federal regulations governing health and safety.

Before you find a nursing home for your elderly loved one, read through the Medicare and CMS data to ensure that the Springfield, Illinois, senior care facility you have chosen does not have a history of abuse or neglect.

When a family member is being abused, they might be unwilling to admit to the abuse due to shame, fear of either more abuse or not being believed regarding the abuse.

Nursing home abuse does happen, and it's never easy to hear that the assisted living home you trusted abused your loved one. Any mistreatment is not an acceptable act and could very well be criminal.

Several signs are mentioned below to look for when you suspect your loved one is suffering from nursing home abuse or neglect.

Financial abuse is the unauthorized or illegal use of a resident’s personal property, including personal assets and money.

You may not notice this until severe damage has already been done. Look for the following:

• Unexplained bank account activity
• Sudden changes in investments
• Changes in advance directives (including wills)
• Missing valuables

The signs of this type of abuse are a lack of bathing, eating, unsanitary room conditions, or even bed sores. Neglect from a caregiver can also lead to self-neglect.

When nursing homes fail to take a proactive approach to prevent falls, discovering and preventing any problems that could increase the chances of a resident falling again, they can be liable for neglect.

Each resident must have an individual assessment and care plan developed and implemented to ensure their safety and prevent neglect.

Physical abuse is the deliberate use of force against a resident that causes injury, pain or impairment. It includes kicking, burning, restraining, slapping, and hitting.

Common indicators of physical abuse include:

• Scratches
• Bruises
• Broken bones
• Lacerations
• Head and neck injuries
• Unexplained falls

Emotional abuse is the most common type of nursing home abuse and often the hardest to detect.

Psychological abuse involves:

• Name-calling
• Belittlement
• Shouting and screaming
• Harassment
• Threats
• Intimidation
• Isolation
• Manipulation

Nursing home residents who are subjected to any sexual act such as inappropriate touching, fondling, verbal sexual harassment, or intercourse, either unwilling or under duress, are victims of sexual abuse. When no consent is given to a sexual act, the victim suffers sexual abuse, and the abuser can be criminally charged.

Nursing home residents with Alzheimer’s or dementia are especially susceptible as they may not be able to understand what is happening to them.

Malnutrition and dehydration fall under neglect. Neglect occurs when nursing home staff do not provide the patient’s basic needs of food, clothing, medical care, and medication.

Common signs of malnourishment are:

• Skin problems - Skin appears yellow and wrinkled with dullness on darker complexions. The skin beneath fingernails can have a white appearance.
• Mouth sores or discoloration - When a nursing home resident develops canker sores (bright red skin) around their mouth and lips, it is a sign of being malnourished.
  Thrush or yeast infections can also show as the development of white patches on the cheeks and tongue.
• Eye problems - Vision worsened with unusually red or glass eyes and swollen corneas.
• Muscular problems - A perpetual tiredness with muscle tone that is weak or limp

Bed sores can result from neglect. People bedridden or confined to a wheelchair for hours or all day are most at risk of pressure wounds.

Pressure sores start as ulcers and can rapidly develop into a severe infection that, if not attended to, can lead to amputations or even death.

If your loved one developed bed sores while in an assisted living facility, they were probably not moved regularly and did not receive proper care. Bed sores can even be found in intensive care patients, and vigilance from family is required to safeguard elderly loved ones.

Bed sores are preventable, and they are treatable. Here are the different stages of bed sores our Springfield nursing home abuse lawyers have identified:

• Stage 1 Bed Sore - The skin is red, warm to the touch, with itching present.
• Stage 2 Bed Sore - Sores or blisters show on the skin.
• Stage 3 Bed Sore - The sore or blister is at a more dangerous stage leading to an open wound.
• Stage 4 Bed Sore - Infection in the open wound is possible with visible bones, muscles, and tendons.

The Nursing Home Reform Act determines assisted living facilities' laws and regulations. These laws must be followed and can be used to prove that your loved one is not getting the care, attention, and medical treatment they deserve or that their rights are being violated.

According to the Nursing Home Reform Act, the rights of a nursing home resident include:

• Freedom from any type of abuse
• Freedom from physical or chemical restraints
• Privacy
• Accommodations of their needs, including social, psychological, physical, and medical
• Participate in resident and family groups
• Be treated with dignity
• Exercise self-determination
• Communicate freely
• Review and participate in any aspect of the care they are receiving and be advised of any changes.
• Voice grievances

You should act even if you suspect your loved one might be the victim of nursing home neglect or abuse.

Notify the nursing home’s administrator and director of nursing, file a report with the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation (IDPR), and seek the counsel of a legal representative or personal injury lawyer specializing in nursing home abuse neglect.

Your nursing home abuse lawyer can request the medical records of your loved one and proceed to investigate the extent of the nursing home abuse, starting a lawsuit against the nursing home and their insurance company.

Elderly victims are often afraid to come forward out of shame or embarrassment, which means you must rely on other signs to determine whether your family member is being mistreated, which are sometimes subtle.

The most common red flags include when a resident falls continually, unexplained bruises or other marks, sudden changes in behavior or personality, depression, unexplained weight loss, poor hygiene, and dirty clothing or surroundings.

The Springfield nursing home injury lawyers at Nursing Home Law Center take the health and happiness of our seniors very seriously, and we will do everything in our legal power to hold negligent and abusive caregivers accountable.

Do you believe your loved one is the victim of abuse at a Springfield nursing facility? In that case, our Illinois nursing home abuse lawyers will investigate the matter free of charge and even advise you in relocating your loved one to a different facility that offers the care they deserve.

The specialty practice areas of our award-winning Springfield, IL, nursing home neglect attorneys are elder abuse, and we have assisted thousands of clients following injuries resulting from negligent or reckless behavior.

We have successfully litigated hundreds of abuse and neglect personal injury cases for concerned family members.

Our Springfield nursing home abuse attorneys have specialized knowledge and experience working on cases like yours. They can help you recover the maximum amount of compensation available on your loved one’s behalf.

Contact us to arrange a free consultation to review your legal options. Our services will be free if we cannot recover damages on your behalf.

Call our law firm toll-free today at (800) 926-7565 or fill out a contact form for a free initial consultation and case evaluation. We accept nursing home abuse and neglect cases on a contingency fee basis.

Our "No-Win/No Fee Guarantee" ensures you will owe us nothing if we cannot successfully resolve your nursing home abuse lawsuit.

All discussions in your free consultation with our nursing home abuse lawyers will remain confidential through an attorney-client relationship.

• American Psychological Association - Senior Citizens Abuse
• Centers For Disease Control and Prevention - Curbing Older Adults Abuse
• American Association of Retired Persons - Long-term Care Laws