The nursing home you choose for your aging family member can be the difference between longevity and unnecessary injury or death. Do as much research as possible before deciding where your aging family member will live.
Use the Illinois Department of Health’s guide on How to Select a Nursing Home. This will help you assess your senior’s needs, evaluate the different forms of residential elder care, and move forward knowing exactly what to look for in a Chicago nursing home.
If you know anyone with past experience with a particular facility, get as much information from them as you can about the level and quality of care. Negative reviews should always be taken with a grain of salt, but don’t dismiss claims of negligent or abusive behavior by nursing home staff.
Nursing home neglect can take any of the following forms:
- Emotional Neglect: Emotional neglect can mean negative social interaction, lack of positive social interaction, or isolating a resident completely. This sort of neglect typically occurs when a resident is regularly or repeatedly left alone for extended periods of time, treated unkindly by nursing home staff, left out of social events, or discouraged from attending social events.
- Essential Needs Neglect: This form of neglect occurs when nursing home staff overlook resident’s basic needs, such as bathing, brushing teeth, cleaning, and other aspects of personal hygiene. Essential needs also include safety, acceptable living conditions, clean water, and nutritious food. Staff can commit neglect when they fail to ensure that these basics are held to the appropriate standard.
- Medical Neglect: This form of neglect is often the most worrisome possibility for family members. Medical neglect occurs when staff do not demonstrate the appropriate level of supervision, medical care, prevention, and attention required to avoid the worsening of residents’ medical issues and the development of new health problems.
Be on the lookout for the following signs of neglect:
- Infections
- New cuts, wounds, or bruises stemming from lack of assistance
- Decubitus ulcers (bed sores) on the heels, back, and sacral area
- Inconsistent administration of medicine
- Altered mental status (often occurs with urinary tract infections)
- Sudden weight change (including weight gain, as this is a symptom of congestive heart failure)
This is by no means a full list of all types of nursing home abuse and neglect, and improper care can take a variety of other forms. If you are unhappy with the care your senior is receiving in an assisted living facility or nursing home and you suspect neglect or abuse, call our Chicago nursing home injury lawyers at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm.
You can reach us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by calling (800) 794-0444 or send us your information to receive a confidential consultation.
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