Behind Closed Doors: Exposing Nursing Home Abuse
Nursing home abuse impacts the most vulnerable residents, who expect to spend their golden years being taken care of by trained professionals. Nursing home residents may not be able to communicate with family members that something is wrong as they face mistreatment, neglect, or abuse. Families place trust in these facilities, expecting professional and compassionate care, and may not be on the lookout for violations. If you have a loved one in a nursing home, it is important to know the signs of nursing home abuse and neglect, and to know the steps to take if they have been abused.
The Reality of Nursing Home Abuse in Illinois
Nursing home abuse can be categorized into various types that range from physical to emotional.
Examples of nursing home abuse include:
- Physical Abuse: An unexplained injury, such as bruises or fractures, fall under this category of abuse.
- Insufficient Care/Neglect: This may include residents not receiving the proper medical care or medications, as well as malnutrition, dehydration, and inadequate hygiene.
- Verbal/ Emotional Abuse: Residents may receive threats or experience humiliation through the way that the staff chooses to interact with the resident. The resident may also be forced into isolation from the other residents, which can lead to psychological distress.
- Sexual Abuse: This type of abuse includes any sort of touch that is not consensual. This may range from mild physical touches to rape. It may also include being forced to get naked, photographs of the resident in various states of undress, and being forced to perform sexual actions on the staff member
- Financial Abuse: The exploitation of a resident’s finances can range from unauthorized transactions to the theft of personal assets.
It is important to know what signs to look for when you visit your family member at a nursing home or care facility. Residents may not feel as if they can speak up for fear of retaliation, or they may be unable to communicate their distress. Watch for any sudden changes in behavior, fear of touch, or unexplained injuries.
Factors Contributing to Nursing Home Abuse
There are several factors that contribute to nursing home abuse and make it a pervasive problem in Illinois. The most common factors include:
Understaffing
Many nursing home facilities do not have enough caregivers on staff due to budget cuts. Being short-staffed can put more pressure and stress on the remaining caregivers and may lead to insufficiency in care.
Lack of Proper Training
The staff of nursing homes and care facilities should be up-to-date on the current care and safety regulations to help keep residents safe. Facilities should make sure that all staff have the proper training and skills to care or manage difficult patients.
Lack of Accountability
Staff should be monitored and held accountable for any mistakes that are made while giving care to residents. Having regular inspections of care and enforcing all rules can help to reduce staff violations. Lack of accountability can allow neglect and abuse to thrive if the laws are not taken into consideration.
Social Attitudes
The way that our society values nursing home residents can also be a factor. Ageism and devaluing elderly residents can contribute to neglect and mistreatment being overlooked or to go unreported.
What Are the Legal Implications of Nursing Home Abuse?
Nursing home residents and their families have the right to pursue a lawsuit against facilities and staff involved in the neglect or abuse. A lawsuit can result in financial compensation for the victim that may include medical expenses, pain and suffering, and, in some cases, punitive damages.
In Illinois, nursing home neglect and abuse are violations of state and federal laws that are put into place to keep residents safe. The Illinois Nursing Home Care Act provides protections for residents and has guidelines in place for nursing home operators to make sure that facilities are safe. If a facility is found guilty of abuse, the facility may receive fines, a loss of licenses, and increased scrutiny to look for future offenses.
Staff members who participated in abuse may face criminal charges that can lead to imprisonment and a criminal record. Workers may also face professional repercussions, such as the loss of certifications.
Legal action can help hold abusers accountable for their actions and prevent future abuse. These laws encourage residents or family members to report abuse and recover financial losses. A nursing home abuse lawyer can review your case and guide you through the reporting process. Your lawyer will also be able to negotiate a settlement with the nursing home or file a lawsuit to fight for fair compensation in court.