Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys | Rockford, IL
Speak with a top nursing home attorney now. Compensation may be available. No win, no fee. Experienced legal team of nursing home injury attorneys. Call our office now: (815) 965-9797. We focus on nursing home injury lawsuits across Illinois.
Free Consultation. Types: Pressure or Bed Sores, Burns, Choking, Falls, Malnutrition, and more.
It is never easy to move an elderly loved one into a nursing home. However, there are circumstances in which a senior is able to receive more attentive and effective care in a nursing home than they can at home. While your elderly loved ones are in the care of a nursing home, the staff is obligated to treat them with compassion and respect while providing the care and assistance they need. Unfortunately, some seniors become the victims of nursing home abuse and negligence.
If you have an elderly loved one who you believe may be the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect in Rockford, IL, contact The Good Law Group to talk to our nursing home abuse lawyers. Our attorneys have the experience and expertise to handle cases involving nursing home neglect or abuse and help secure compensation for you and your family. Nursing home neglect and abuse should never burden seniors and their families. Our nursing home negligence lawyers at The Good Law Group will help you hold the responsible parties liable.
What is Nursing Home Abuse?
The Administration on Aging department within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines elder abuse as “any knowing, intentional, or negligent act by a caregiver or any other person that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to a vulnerable adult.” According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), one in every ten people over the age of 65 has experienced some form of abuse or neglect and most cases of elderly abuse occur in nursing homes. Elder abuse is also notoriously underreported which means that it is likely more prevalent than these statistics suggest.
Seniors who are the victims of nursing home abuse and neglect may experience emotional distress and physical injuries, and they are twice as likely to experience a premature death. The following are considered forms of nursing home abuse and neglect:
- Physical abuse: Includes active physical abuse like hitting, physical neglect by depriving seniors of necessities like food and water, and misuse of physical restraints leading to injuries.
- Emotional abuse: Includes verbal abuse such as yelling, harassment, insults, and threats.
- Neglect: Includes the failure to provide adequate food, shelter, protection, and medical care which can lead to bed sores, malnutrition, dehydration, infections, and more.
- Sexual abuse: Includes any non-consensual sexual contact.
- Financial exploitation: Includes the stealing, misuse, or concealment of money or property.
The following are the main signs of nursing home abuse and neglect:
- Physical ailments: Includes broken bones, bruises, cuts, and other injuries.
- Changes in behavior: Includes depression, fear and anxiety, loss of interest in favorite activities, and changes in sleep.
- Signs of neglect: Includes poor hygiene, sudden weight loss, bedsores, malnutrition and dehydration, and missing medical aids like medication, glasses, hearing aids, walkers, and dentures.
If you believe that your senior loved ones may be the victims of nursing home abuse or neglect, you should immediately report the abuse. Then call the nursing home abuse attorneys at The Good Law Group to discuss your case so we can hold nursing homes liable and secure compensation for you and your family.
Reporting Nursing Home Abuse
You must report any suspected abuse or neglect to the administrator of the nursing home right away. Nursing homes are obligated under federal law to investigate all allegations of elder abuse or neglect as well as reports of unexplained injuries. Unfortunately, there are some instances in which nursing homes may be unresponsive to reports of abuse and neglect. When this happens, you can report the abuse or neglect to the Ombudsman Program in Illinois.
The Ombudsman Program is a regulatory body that advocates for the fair treatment of seniors, including seniors in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Every state has established an Ombudsman Program as required by the Older Americans Act of 1965. The Ombudsman Program in Illinois has a procedure in which you can report nursing home abuse and neglect.
You may also consider reporting instances of elder abuse and neglect to local law enforcement as many of these actions may be considered a local or state crime.
Filing a Lawsuit for Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect in Rockford, IL
If your loved ones have been the victims of nursing home abuse or neglect that has resulted in injuries or emotional distress, you may be entitled to compensation from the parties responsible. Our nursing home abuse lawyers are prepared to take on cases of elderly abuse and nursing home negligence in Rockford, IL.
Our personal injury attorneys have experience managing cases of elderly abuse and neglect and we will help ensure that you and your family get the compensation you deserve. We will start by reviewing the facts of your case, including the reports you have made to the nursing home, law enforcement, and other regulatory bodies, to determine the best course of legal action. Our attorneys will keep you informed of your legal options, help build your case, and provide representation in court. You will not have to pay a fee or out-of-pocket cost unless we are successful in securing compensation.
If your loved ones have experienced nursing home abuse or neglect in Rockford, IL, call the nursing home abuse lawyers of The Good Law Group at (815) 965-9797.
