Understanding Nursing Home Negligence Cases in Illinois
Nursing home negligence can be incredibly difficult to handle for families due to the emotional toll it takes. Witnessing a loved one suffer due to substandard care and negligence can lead to feelings of guilt, anger, and helplessness, making it emotionally challenging to navigate the situation.
Confronting the facility responsible for the negligence can be tough, it can even strain relationships, as family members may have differing opinions on how to handle the situation, further complicating the already distressing experience of dealing with nursing home negligence.
Families place their trust in nursing homes to provide a level of care that their loved ones deserve. When this trust is violated and neglect becomes apparent, legal action may be the only recourse to get justice for your loved ones and ensure accountability from the facilities. These legal actions can lead to improved standards of care, stricter regulations, and increased transparency in the industry, thereby fostering an environment where seniors can age with dignity and respect.
The Illinois statute of limitations states that you have up to 2 years from the time of an incident to file a lawsuit.
What is considered nursing home neglect?
Nursing home negligence can manifest in various forms, including:
- Inadequate Care: neglecting to keep residents free of bed sores, which can often lead to infections, sepsis, and even death.
- Inadequate Supervision: failure to provide proper supervision and care, leading to falls, elopement, choking incidents, or other serious injuries.
- Improper nourishment: leading to malnutrition or dehydration.
- Neglecting Residents Basic Needs: failure to provide proper personal care and sanitary living conditions, or neglecting hygiene, which can have serious health consequences.
- Medical Errors: instances where residents are subjected to incorrect medical treatments, improper administration of medication, or delayed medical attention.
Tragically, the lack of care in a nursing home setting can sometimes result in the death of a resident, highlighting the severity of the issue.
What type of evidence is needed for nursing home negligence cases?
Proving nursing home neglect can be a complex process – having a law firm in your corner can ensure that you have what you need for your case.
In nursing home negligence cases, gathering appropriate evidence is crucial to support your claim and demonstrate that negligence has occurred. Depending on the type of exact case you’re filing, the evidence may vary. A nursing home negligence law firm will need to gather specific evidence in order to present the case to court.
Here’s a list of types of evidence that could be needed for a nursing home negligence case:
- Medical records
- Incident reports
- Insurance claim documentation
- Photos and video evidence and/or security footages
- Witness statements and/or expert testimonials
- Communication records and documentation
- Staffing records
- Financial records
The impact of nursing home negligence
When caregivers fail to provide the necessary standard of care, residents can suffer from bedsores, falls, malnutrition, medication errors, and even physical abuse. These incidents not only compromise the health and well-being of the elderly but also decrease their trust in the healthcare system.
Nursing home negligence can result in serious legal and financial ramifications for the facilities involved. Addressing this issue is crucial to ensuring the quality of life for elderly residents while upholding the moral and ethical standards of the healthcare profession.
Common types of cases
The most common types of nursing home negligence cases typically revolve around issues related to substandard care and inadequate supervision, which can lead to various forms of harm to residents. Some of the most prevalent nursing home negligence cases include:
- Falls
- Pressure Ulcers / Bed sores
- Patients not receiving proper nutrition
- Failure to properly prevent, detect, and treat infections
- Errors involving medications and dosages
- Physical and/or emotional abuse of the patient
Learning more about nursing home neglect
Organizations and IL resources
To report claims to the state of Illinois, you can utilize the following services:
- Illinois Department of Health and Human Services
- Hospitals or Nursing Homes – 1-800-252-4343
- Department of Public Health – Long Term Care/ Nursing Homes
- PM 01-05-02: Suspected Abuse and Neglect – LTC/SLF – 217-782-0545
Learn more about organizations that support survivors of nursing home negligence:
- Nursing Home Abuse Justice
- Nursing Homes Abuse Advocates
- National Resource Center on Domestic Violence – VAWnet
Trust an experienced attorney to take your nursing home negligence case in Illinois
It’s a good idea to consult with an experienced attorney like the ones at Rubens and Mulholland in nursing home negligence cases to help guide you through the process of collecting evidence and building a strong case. Request a free consultation with an R&M attorney today to get help with your nursing home negligence case.