Decatur Nursing
Home Attorneys

Nursing homes are important medical facilities that provide our aging loved ones with the skilled care and safe and comfortable living space and experience they both need and deserve. Some of the most vulnerable among us reside in nursing homes, and we expect them to receive the excellent care that nursing homes purport to offer in their advertisements and during initial visits. When this is not the case, and a loved one is injured by nursing home neglect or abuse, it is both shocking and devastating. If your loved one has been injured by nursing home neglect or abuse, consult with an experienced Decatur nursing home attorney today.

The Nursing Home

The nursing home management team is responsible for running a safe, clean, organized facility that is capable of providing its residents with the care and attention they need to live their healthiest, fullest lives. There are several key decisions that nursing homes can make that leave their residents far more vulnerable to nursing home neglect and abuse, including:

• Failing to adequately staff the facility
• Failing to hire staff who have the necessary experience and failing to provide them with adequate training
• Failing to adhere to Illinois laws related to nursing homes and to industry safety guidelines
• Failing to take reports of neglect or abuse seriously
• Ignoring problems and avoiding the issue when speaking to residents, potential residents, and their loved ones

Often nursing home neglect and abuse stem from a systemic problem within the facility.

Nursing Home Neglect

Nursing home neglect is the most common form of mistreatment that nursing home claims are based upon. This neglect refers to the failure to provide adequate care, which ultimately can lead to either physical or emotional injury – and can come in any of the following forms:

• Medical Neglect – When a nursing home fails to provide its residents with adequate and appropriate medical care, it can lead to serious injuries. Signs of medical neglect can include bedsores, cuts, wounds, sprains, or even breaks that go untreated, infections that aren’t addressed, health concerns related to not receiving the right medication on the correct schedule or to receiving the wrong medication in the first place, or a delayed medical diagnosis or delayed treatment.
• Neglect Related to Personal Hygiene – The residents of nursing homes often require assistance with their personal hygiene, and when they do not receive the help they need, serious health concerns can ensue. The telltale signs of hygiene neglect can include staph infections, bedsores born of inattention, a dirty or unkempt appearance, soiled sheets, or an unsanitary living space.
• Nutritional Neglect – Nursing home residents obviously require adequate nutrition and hydration, and their absence can be extremely dangerous. The signs of nutritional neglect include an unexplained loss of energy, a sudden weight loss, the onset of headaches, unexplained dizziness or confusion, or a precipitous loss of muscle strength.
• Emotional or Social Neglect – Adequate social interaction and mental hygiene is an important component of healthy living, and when nursing homes fail to foster adequate social opportunities, residents can pay a hefty price. Signs of emotional or social neglect include increased anxiety, depression, unexplained moodiness, self-destructive behaviors, or emotional distress.

Being aware of the signs of neglect may help you spot a potential problem before it becomes more serious.

Nursing Home Abuse

Because it contains the element of intention or purposefulness, nursing home abuse is even more disturbing than nursing home neglect – and can be far more dangerous. Nursing home residents have the right to live free from mental, physical, or sexual abuse by both nursing home staff and fellow residents – just as they have the right to live free from neglect. In fact, nursing home residents enjoy a host of rights, but successfully defending these rights is complicated and requires the professional legal counsel of an experienced Decatur nursing home attorney.

It’s Time to Consult with an Experienced Decatur Nursing Home Attorney

Cases of nursing home abuse or neglect are some of the most egregious legal cases because the at-fault parties prey on – or ignore – the vulnerability of their victims. If your loved one has been harmed by nursing home neglect or abuse, the skilled Decatur nursing home attorneys at Malman Law have impressive reserves of experience successfully guiding these often-complicated cases toward their most beneficial outcomes. Our formidable legal team is here to help, so please do not hesitate to contact us for more information today.

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