Placing a family member into a nursing home or assisted living facility can be a tough choice. When the decision is made, families must entrust nursing facilities and staff to take good care of their loved ones. Unfortunately, many times facilities and staff neglect their residents which can result in injuries to loved ones that they will likely have to deal with for the rest of their lives given their advanced age. Even worse, some nursing home staff physically and psychologically abuse residents who are often powerless to resist.       

At the Law Office of Adrian Murati, our Rockford personal injury law firm is dedicated to stopping elder neglect and abuse in our community. As a nursing home abuse lawyer, I hold nursing homes and their staff responsible for the damage they cause from their carelessness or willful abuse towards residents. If you or a loved one has experienced nursing home abuse, you can call me at (815) 289-3209 so we can put a stop to the abuse and recover for the cost of the injuries. 

• Broken bones or other injuries
• Bruising, cuts, or marks
• Pressure Ulcers (bed sores)
• Frequent infections
• Signs of dehydration or malnutrition (tiredness, dry skin, lack of urination, constipation, etc.) 
• Changes in mental state such as mood swings and emotional outbursts
• Reluctance or refusal to speak
• Refusal to eat or take medications
• Unexplained or sudden weight loss
• Declining physical appearance or lack of cleanliness
• Caregivers or staff that do not want resident to be left alone with others

Assisted Living Abuse and Neglect – While residents are generally in better health and have more independence than in nursing homes, they still depend on the facility’s staff for many of their daily needs.

Bed Sores – Residents who are confined to beds are at risk of developing pressure ulcers (bed sores) from prolonged bedrest which can restrict blood flow and cause skin and tissue to die. Nursing homes are supposed to monitor patients that are at risk for bed sores and adjust their body position at regular intervals to prevent bed sores.

Choking Accidents – Residents who have difficulty swallowing are often put on restrictive diets by their doctors to prevent choking on food. When caregivers do not enforce diet restrictions or monitor residents for difficulty swallowing, there is a significant risk of choking and even death.  

Dehydration and Malnutrition– Proper food and liquid intake is critical for the optimal functioning of the human body. When staff fail to ensure that residents are receiving proper meals and drinks, residents suffer the debilitating symptoms of dehydration and malnutrition. 

Dropping Residents During Transportation – Many residents rely on nursing home staff to move themselves from one location to another such as from a bed to a wheelchair or wheelchair to bath. When caregivers fail to follow protocols on how to properly transfer these patients, patients get dropped and injured during the move.

Financial Abuse and Exploitation – This type of abuse can range from outright theft of resident’s property to more deceptive acts to gain a victim’s confidence in order to obtain fraudulent access to bank accounts and other property.  

Inadequate Supervision of Wandering Residents – Residents with cognitive impairments such as Alzheimer’s or dementia who are not properly supervised by facility staff may wander away into dangerous situations such as nearby roads.

Medication Errors – When staff administer the wrong medication, residents can suffer medical consequences from not receiving their prescribed medicine and even suffer injury from adverse reactions to the mistaken medication.

Nursing Home Falls – In addition to the risks posed to residents from staff dropping them during transportation, residents can also fall in other situations. For example, residents who are not properly monitored when taking certain medications that increase the chance of falls (like sedatives or psychoactive drugs) or when the nursing home keeps the premise is in a hazardous condition (poor lighting, wet floors, equipment left out of place, etc.).

Physical Abuse – Abuse can include physical assaults on residents and forced feedings.

Psychological and Emotional Abuse – Examples include staff using threats of physical violence or threats to withhold meals or medical care, confining residents to prolonged isolation, humiliating or degrading comments, insults, and harassment. 

Sexual Abuse – Sexual assault on residents can range from unwanted touching and fondling to outright rape that can have severe physical and psychological repercussions for the victim. 

Understaffing – Lack of staffing is a major problem for nursing homes in Illinois and can pose a wide variety of risks to residents who are not properly monitored and taken care of.