When a cherished elderly loved one begins needing skilled, around-the-clock care that’s beyond the family’s ability to provide, they search out the best possible nursing home within the family’s budget and then hope that the caregivers live up to their promises to provide skilled, compassionate daily care, access to medical care, socially stimulating activities, and respect for individualism and human dignity.
Tragically, some families’ hopes and hearts are crushed when they discover that their vulnerable elderly loved one has suffered abuse at the hands of those entrusted with their care in a Chicago nursing home. Contact our medical malpractice attorney in Chicago for legal assistance if you or a loved one have been wronged in a nursing home.
Smith LaCien LLP is a renowned law firm recognized by respected publications in the legal community. We provide the following advantages in your nursing home abuse case:
We offer a free confidential consultation and contingency-based payment so you pay nothing up front and only pay legal fees after we’ve recovered compensation for your family.
Illinois nursing homes received the highest number of fines for violations of substandard care in the United States in 2024, with $74 million paid in fines. Nursing homes are chronically understaffed and experience high staff turnover rates, leading to overwhelmed, inexperienced caregivers.
The Nursing Home Abuse Center reports that an estimated five million elderly Americans suffer abuse each year, many at the hands of caregivers, staff members, or other residents inside nursing homes.
Nursing home abuse investigators classify nursing home abuse into the following five categories:
All forms of elder abuse in nursing homes are an egregious violation of trust and a breach of the facility’s legal duty of care.
According to a study by the Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP), physical and emotional abuse lead to adverse consequences on an elderly resident’s health and quality life, leading to increased metabolic syndromes and mortality.
Many elderly abuse victims cannot report their abuse due to speech problems, incapacitation, or dementia. Others fail to report abuse due to feelings of shame, embarrassment, or unwillingness to be a burden on loved ones. It’s crucial for visiting family and friends to be watchful for the following signs of elder abuse:
Drug diversion is another egregious form of nursing home abuse in which caregivers steal medications such as opioids from residents rather than administering them, or they administer over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen instead, while taking the prescription medication for personal use or sale.
If you believe your elderly loved one has suffered abuse in a Chicago nursing home, it’s essential to report your suspicion to the nursing home administrators. Have your elderly family member undergo a full medical evaluation from a provider who isn’t associated with the nursing home, and ask for a detailed medical report of their findings. Move the elder to a safe location, and then obtain the elder’s care records from the nursing home. Finally, hire a Chicago nursing home abuse attorney to represent you in your case.
You can hold the nursing home liable for damages due to their breach of the duty of care they had for your loved one.
Nursing home abuse has serious consequences, including the need for increased medical care due to injuries or general health decline. Infections, broken hips, and other adverse effects of abuse decrease mobility and diminish an elder’s quality of life. A successful claim recovers compensation for damages such as the following:
Less commonly, punitive damages may be awarded to a nursing home resident or their surviving family member if a caregiver or the facility engaged in intentional egregious wrongdoing or with wanton disregard for the resident’s safety.
In the worst cases of nursing home abuse, an elderly resident dies from physical abuse, neglect, or morbidities caused by abuse. If your elderly loved one died due to nursing home abuse in Chicago, your family could recover compensation and give your loved one a voice for justice through a nursing home wrongful death lawsuit.
When a vulnerable elderly loved one suffers mistreatment at the hands of those whose job is to provide skilled, compassionate care, it is actionable nursing home abuse. Proving your case with compelling evidence is critical to obtain the justice and financial accountability your elderly loved one deserves. Reach out to Smith LaCien LLP for a free consultation and the prompt action your family deserves.
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