The elderly are prone to suffer from a suppressed immune system and chronic health conditions due to their advanced age. As we age, our immune systems become slower and less efficient, therefore, seniors are more likely to get ill, and typically take longer to fight any infections or illnesses compared to a younger adult.
A nursing home has the obligation to take reasonable precautions to limit residents’ exposure to anything causing illness and infections. This includes harmful bacteria, viruses, and toxins, as well as contact with other residents’ blood and tissue. Good hygiene procedures in a nursing home are extremely important to protect the residents from illnesses and infections. Poor hygiene in nursing homes is a sign of neglect. If you suspect your loved one suffered poor hygiene as a result of abuse in a nursing home, contact a Forest Park poor hygiene lawyer at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today by calling us.
Poor Nursing Home Hygiene
Your loved one in the nursing home has the legal right to a hygienic environment and good personal care to preserve their health as well as their dignity. Nursing facilities in Illinois have to meet mandatory state standards. The Illinois Health Facilities And Regulation (210 ILCS 45/) Nursing Home Care Act deals with hygiene in nursing homes, among other topics. The act describes the rights of nursing home residents, including general hygiene requirements within a facility as well as the personal hygiene and grooming needs of the residents. It also mentions the training and qualifications required by nursing home staff carrying out these tasks.
Unfortunately, despite being regulated, licensed, certified, and regularly checked on, nursing homes do not always adhere to the required standards and are frequently cited for violations by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Nursing homes can fail their residents when they are extremely profit-driven, by employing too few qualified staff or not enough cleaning staff, both of which can result in unhygienic conditions around the facility. The nursing home is also responsible to ensure that there is enough qualified staff available to care for the residents’ basic needs which include daily personal hygiene and grooming. Ultimately, the nursing home is responsible for anything that happens on their property.
Signs of Poor Hygiene to Look For
If you notice any soiled clothes, dirty bedsheets, or odors of urine and feces when you visit your loved one, they could be suffering from poor hygiene and possibly nursing home neglect. A generally unclean environment, or residents appearing unwashed and disheveled, should be raising red flags.
There are some other signs you might observe that point to your loved one suffering from neglect. For example, they are not bathed regularly, do not have their diapers changed frequently, are lacking wound care, or are developing bedsores. You may be able to hold the nursing home to account for negligence. Likewise, if your loved one is suffering, or suffered in the past from any preventable diseases or infections incurred due to lack of appropriate hygiene procedures, you may also have grounds to sue a nursing home for neglect.
Awards in Nursing Home Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Cases
Nursing home abuse and neglect, such as poor hygiene in a facility and poor hygiene procedures by staff, can potentially lead to personal injury cases and wrongful death claims. The plaintiff, whether the nursing home resident or their family, may receive compensation such as:
- Economic awards, including compensation for past and future medical bills, transportation costs for medical reasons, long-term disability payments, and others.
- Non-Economic awards, such as compensation for any emotional or physical pain and suffering, compensation for worsening of injuries or illnesses, and others.
Economic awards are relatively straightforward to determine. Medical bills or transportation bills can be produced as evidence for economic awards. Non-economic awards, on the other hand, can be much harder to identify and quantify. If you believe your loved one suffered neglect or injury as a result of poor hygiene, and you are thinking of exploring your legal options, speaking to a Forest Park poor hygiene lawyer can help you understand your rights as well as the types of awards that you can potentially claim.
For a free legal consultation with a Poor Hygiene Lawyer serving Forest Park, call (800) 794-0444
A Forest Park Poor Hygiene Lawyer Can Fight for Your Family
Realizing that your loved one is suffering from abuse or neglect can be devastating and upsetting for the entire family. Whether staff neglected your loved one’s personal grooming needs, or your loved one contracted an infection as a result of poor hygiene in their nursing home, we can help your family get justice.
Although a lawsuit cannot undo any damage that is already done to your loved one, any compensation obtained could help your family with past, present, and future medical bills and other costs arising from the nursing home neglect and abuse. Taking action and holding a nursing home to account can also force a facility into raising its standards of care, potentially protecting other residents from neglect.
Nursing home abuse cases can be time-consuming to research and prepare, and it is important to note that Illinois’ statute of limitations sets a time limit of two years for personal injury cases. Time can be of the essence and consulting a dedicated nursing home lawyer can save some precious time for you and your loved one.
We offer free consultations and there are no attorney’s fees for you until we win your lawsuit. Contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today and get some answers to your questions regarding nursing home abuse personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits. We can help you with all aspects of building a case, including collecting evidence and obtaining expert medical witnesses.
Call or text (800) 794-0444 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
