Nursing Home Abuse & Negligence

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Chicago nursing home injury law firm Zneimer & Zneimer P.C. represents injured, abused, and neglected nursing home residents throughout Illinois. Nursing home owners, operators, and mangers, as well as the staff and professionals employed by such facilities, are required to adhere to a specific standard of care when dealing with their patients. Part of this standard is pursuant to Illinois law, however other duties regarding standard of care concern medical licenses, and ownership, management or government regulation of a nursing home facility. With a rapidly increasing population of elderly, elder abuse and neglect is of paramount concern. Our Illinois nursing home injury attorneys have the experience necessary to fight for you or your loved one’s legal rights.

Thousands of senior citizens suffer from abuse, exploitation, and neglect in nursing homes and other facilities that care for the elderly. Many victims are unhealthy or frail, and therefore may be unable to protest against maltreatment. Other victims of elder abuse are susceptible to poor treatment because they are dependent on the people charged with administering their daily needs. Often times, signs of abuse or neglect are visible by noting evidence of bruising or the existence of bedsores. In other cases, monitoring of food and water consumption can give way to signs of malnutrition or dehydration. If you believe a care facility is acting in a negligent manner or is guilty of negligence regarding the treatment of someone you know, then it is possible that the staff of this facility is acting in a negligent manner toward other residents of this facility. Our experienced nursing home abuse lawyers know that elder abuse and neglect is a problem here in Illinois and throughout the nation as well. The injury attorneys of Zneimer & Zneimer P.C. are dedicated to ensuring that victims of elder abuse receive the compensation deserved.

The state of Illinois Department on Aging states that there are approximately 76,000 citizens that suffer some form of elder abuse or neglect, but that less than 14% of these incidents are reported. The National Center for Elder Abuse estimates that approximately 90% of elder abuse injuries are inflicted by family members. For more information regarding elder abuse and neglect, visit the National Center for Elder Abuse’s website.

Illinois now has laws defining the parameters of elder abuse and neglect. Types of elder neglect or abuse include physical abuse, sexual abuse, or emotional/psychological abuse, (general) neglect, personal neglect, abandonment, and financial or material exploitation. Often times, abuse or neglect may go undetected because the persons caring for abused or neglected elders lack the proper skills or training to detect such abuse. Our team of nursing home injury lawyers can explain how Illinois law will define the type of abuse that you believe is occurring. An Illinois Department on Aging Elder Abuse and Neglect Related Laws Booklet may be downloaded here.

A recent nationwide study revealed that approximately 1 out of every 14 cases involving possible elder abuse go unreported. There are certain situations where an individual who discovers the presence or possibility of elder abuse, is mandated to report such abuse pursuant to Illinois Statutes. Under Illinois law, these individuals are called “mandated reporters.” Professionals engaged in social services, law enforcement, elder care, ministerial services, as well as employees of vocational rehabilitation facilities and other community based services, are all typically categorized as mandated reporters. However, the examples stated herein do not comprise the entire list as enumerated by Illinois law. Our Chicago nursing home abuse lawyers are well versed in the Illinois regulations concerning elder abuse and neglect. Sometimes abuse may go unreported due to fear of retaliation. However, Illinois law protects individuals making such reports so long as the reporter believes that it is in the alleged victim’s best interest. Our injury attorneys can help you if you know of someone who is suffering from elder abuse or neglect at a nursing home, or you feel that someone may be suffering due to nursing home negligence.

If you are a relative or friend of an elderly person and you have cause for concern because you believe this person is suffering from nursing home abuse and neglect or nursing home negligence in Illinois, we encourage you to call the Chicago nursing home abuse attorneys at the law firm of Zneimer & Zneimer P.C. for help.

Contact us online or call us at 773-516-4100 to set up a FREE personal injury consultation to discuss your legal options.