Waukegan Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

National statistics show that elderly residents in nursing homes are at risk of sustaining personal injury and nursing home neglect at the hands of their caregivers or co-residents.

Assisted care and other home facilities should provide nursing home residents in DuPage County and Waukegan, Illinois, with adequate care and treatment in a safe environment.

The Waukegan, Illinois nursing home abuse & neglect attorneys of Nursing Home Law, Center, LLC are dedicated to helping our senior population maintain their dignity and respect by holding negligent caregivers, nursing home staff, and residential care facilities accountable when their actions result in harm to the very people they are supposed to serve.

If your loved one or family member was mistreated, injured, or died while living in a nursing home, we urge you to contact our Illinois personal injury lawyers at (800) 926-7565 today to schedule a free consultation to discuss your legal options for obtaining compensation.

The history of Waukegan, located in far northeastern Illinois, is one of industry, and diversity as the fifth largest city on the west bank of Lake Michigan and the county seat of Lake County. Waukegan is home to a rich and diverse population comprising 88,000 residents, approximately 9 percent of the senior citizens over sixty-five.

Our Waukegan nursing home injury lawyers believe there is great power in knowledge. By summarizing below the specific concerns documented in a government survey of nursing facilities in the area, we hope to help you make a more informed decision before you place your aging loved one in a Waukegan area nursing home.

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, including 16 nursing homes within a 15-mile radius of Waukegan’s city center.

Based on its investigations, the agency found that five of those facilities fell short of the accepted standards of care after health violations and other deficiencies were uncovered by inspectors. The shortcomings reflect the same general issues found in nursing homes nationwide and are mostly related to understaffing.

State inspectors found that forty-five (26%) of the 131 nursing facilities in the Waukegan metro area provided residents with “below average” and “much below average” care. All these nursing homes were fined for violating procedures and protocols.

Some of these facilities were found to have one or more of the following deficiencies in safety and care:

• A much higher than average number of health citations
• A higher percentage of senior citizens who developed pressure sores than the national and Illinois averages
• Failure to provide proper pressure sore care and prevention for some older adults.
• Failure to adequately supervise or safely transfer patients to minimize the risk of falls
• Failure to properly assist some senior citizens with activities of daily living, including personal grooming and hygiene
• Failure to use proper infection prevention measures when caring for some patients, including urinary catheter care
• Failure to meet the dietary and nutritional needs of some underweight residents
• Unsanitary food storage and preparation practices
• Resident rooms in disrepair

If you suspect that your elderly residents are suffering from nursing home abuse, such as physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, or financial abuse by nursing home staff members, use our free consultation offer and contact our nursing home abuse attorneys.

There are many ways that nursing home abuse can present itself, but the following are the most common forms that many residents suffer:

Physical Abuse
Physical abuse occurs when nursing home staff or caregivers intentionally use physical force on elderly residents, often causing broken bones. The mistreatment may involve:

• Hitting
• Slapping
• Shoving
• Spitting
• Punching
• Kicking
• Biting
• Burning

Emotional Abuse
Psychological or emotional abuse involves verbal or nonverbal abusive actions by staff members that causes psychological harm to a nursing home resident. Forms of emotional abuse are:

• Name-calling
• Emotional manipulation
• Belittling
• Shouting
• Screaming
• Ignoring the resident
• Harassment
• Threats
• Intimidation
• Isolation

Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse occurs when there is any form of sexual contact or inappropriate sexual activity between a nursing home resident and nursing home staff, visitor, friend, family member, or another resident without the victim's permission. Sexual abuse includes:

• Rape
• Sexual assault
• Sexual harassment
• Sexual touching
• Any other forced sexual activity
• Coerced nudity
• Forcing the resident to view pornography

Financial Abuse
Financial abuse and exploitation involve the unlawful or unauthorized usage of money or possessions for the financial gain of an elderly resident in a nursing home. Examples of this mistreatment are:

• Stealing cash
• Illegal usage of debit or credit cards
• Stealing jewelry, or other valuables
• Forging a signature
• Coercing a resident to sign a financial document or give power of attorney

Neglect
When an elderly resident suffers elder abuse and neglect, the nursing home fails to provide the basic necessities of life. Nursing home neglect nullifies resident's rights and could include negligence of:

• Food
• Water
• Clothing
• Medical care and treatment

Abandonment
Abandonment can be seen as the desertion of a nursing home resident by a caregiver or staff member, refusing to provide the basic necessities such as:

• Shelter
• Safety
• Medical care
• Daily basic hygiene assistance
• Meals
• Social interaction

Dehydration
When a resident becomes dehydrated and does not receive enough fluids, it can be a potentially fatal condition. Signs of dehydration include :

• Dry mouth
• Sunken eyes
• Increased thirst
• Reduced urination
• Confusion
• Lethargy

Malnutrition
Another avoidable but potentially fatal condition is malnutrition. Nursing home residents do not receive adequate nutrients to keep their bodies healthy. Signs of malnutrition include:

• Weight loss
• Fatigue
• Muscle weakness
• Hair loss
• Dry skin
• Brittle nails

Pressure ulcers or bedsores are open wounds that occur when a nursing home resident is left in the same lying or sitting position for too long without movement. These sores often become infected and can lead to severe medical complications.

If you suspect your loved one or family member is being abused or neglected in a nursing home, it's essential to take action immediately. Contact the facility administrator to file a complaint and consult a nursing home abuse lawyer for legal intervention.

When you suspect a loved one is being abused or neglected in a nursing facility, you should take action with the help of an experienced lawyer. The ways a lawyer can assist you are:

• Conducting an investigation and collecting evidence
• Checking whether training service hours requirements of staff members were completed
• Determining which party is liable for the abuse
• Evaluating your claim to determine the total amount of damages your loved one deserves
• Medical expert testimony
• Dealing with insurance companies
• Taking your case to court, when necessary

Our legal team offers a free consultation and case review and is available to give family members and victims our full support at every step of their lawsuit journey.

It is the ethical obligation of assisted care and nursing home facilities to ensure that their residents are safe and given the best possible medical care and treatment.

We realize that mistakes can happen, but when nursing staff or caregivers in nursing homes cause harm or even wrongful death, they must be held accountable. Use our free consultation offer and allow our legal team to review your case.

In a care facility setting, the definition of medical malpractice is any action or the lack of action by nursing home staff, caregivers, or medical professionals that do not align with the accepted standard of care, bringing harm to the resident.

Possible medical negligence or malpractice by staff members, caregivers, or medical professionals include:

• Failing to prevent or treat bed sores
• Failing to properly assess and document the patient's condition
• Failing to follow up on test results
• Improperly medicated
• Giving the wrong medication
• Overmedicated
• Not following the physician's orders
• Misreading or misunderstanding a physician's order
• Failing to properly monitor a patient's condition
• Lying about or falsifying a patient's medical records

Medicare data reveals that most residents in nursing facilities receive a substantial amount of medications. More elderly residents in care facilities and more drugs administered orally and intravenously increase the chances for errors.

Common types of medication errors in care facilities are:

• Incorrect drug dispensing error - Giving the patient the wrong medication could cause an allergic reaction or other serious side effects.
• Incorrect drug dose error - Giving the patient too much or too little medication can be just as dangerous as giving the wrong drug.
• Incorrect route errors - Administering a medication through the wrong route (such as orally instead of intravenously) can cause serious health complications.
• Duplicate therapy errors - Prescribing the same medication for two different conditions can result in a dangerous interaction.
• Drugs looking identical and drug names sounding identical - Many drugs look alike and have terms similar to other medications, leading to confusion and causing the wrong medicine to be dispensed.
• Unsafe storage errors - Medications must be stored properly to maintain their effectiveness.
• Drug-interaction errors - Mixing certain drugs can cause a dangerous reaction.

If you suspect your loved one is being neglected or mistreated in nursing home facilities in Waukegan, our nursing home injury lawyers advise that you investigate it immediately rather than wait for more direct evidence to surface.

It is better to rule out abuse than to allow it to go on unchecked because the warning signs of abuse and neglect are often subtle. We recommend that you inquire into the treatment of your loved one if you encounter any of the following potential red flags:

• Sudden change in behavior or mood
• Broken bones
• Cuts and lacerations
• Injuries to genitals and unexplained bruises on breasts or genitals
• Head, neck, and other injuries
• Unexplained regular falls
• Frequent infections
• Hospitalization due to dehydration or malnutrition
• The presence of unexplained bruises or other physical marks
• Injuries sustained in trips or falls
• Signs of fear or silence in the presence of caregivers or other residents
• Poor hygiene or soiled clothing/bedding

You should always look into any signs that warrant concern, no matter how minor they may seem. Your loved one may be too afraid or ashamed to speak up about the abuse or neglect they are enduring.

An investigation will reveal whether you have the right to legal recourse and help you begin the process of moving your loved one to a safer environment. Contact our NHLC elder abuse attorneys for a free consultation to review your case.

Nursing Home Law Center is a leading Illinois personal injury network of attorneys that has successfully recovered compensation in personal injury lawsuits on behalf of thousands of clients.

Our dedicated affiliate nursing home abuse legal team has specialized experience in these matters and can help you investigate the mistreatment of your loved one, assist you in transferring them to a healthier environment, and pursue the compensation your loved one deserves.

Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and case review.

Contact our elder abuse lawyers at our law office today at (800) 926-7565 (toll-free phone call) or through the contact form to schedule a free consultation and free case evaluation. We accept your case on a contingency fee basis. Our "No-Win/No Fee Guarantee" ensures you will owe us nothing if we cannot successfully resolve your case.

We service clients in Waukegan and the following localities but not limited to Chicago il, Kane County and Cook County.

Our nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers have compiled data from reported settlements and jury verdicts across Illinois to give you an idea of what your case may be worth in a civil law context. We have broken down these cases according to case type and patient injury.

Learn more about these Illinois nursing home lawsuit settlements below:

• Medical Error Settlements
• Inadequate Care Settlements
• Bed Sore Settlements
• Fall Settlements
• Nursing Home Abuse Settlements

• Medicare - Nursing Home Compare
• Illinois Department of Public Health - Reporting Violations
• IDPH -Quarterly Report Of Nursing Home Violations
• Illinois Government - Nursing Home Care Act