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CHICAGO, IL – Nursing home residents deserve to age with dignity; but unfortunately, some fall victim to horrific acts of abuse and neglect. Many times, nursing home abuse or neglect often goes unreported due to fear, embarrassment, or because a resident is unable to communicate what they need to. If you suspect your loved one is suffering from abuse or neglect at the hands of a nursing home facility, advocate for them and report it immediately to keep them safe.

How to Report Nursing Home Abuse

Nursing home abuse is an all too common problem that leaves elders emotionally scarred, badly injured, or be left with nothing financially. In some extreme cases, it may even contribute to their death.

Incidents of abuse may stem from poorly trained staff who lash out at residents or fail to meet their needs, such as dietary needs or bathing them. Aggressive nursing home residents can harm others if a staff doesn’t intervene.

As of 2018, 52 million people in the United States were over the age of 65. Nearly 1 in 10 of these people suffered from elder abuse each year. To put this into perspective, only 1 out of 24 elder abuse cases are actually reported to authorities (New York State Office of Children and Family Services).

If you loved one is being abused, or you suspect they are, you can report the abuse by contacting:

• Local police or law enforcement
• Long-term care Ombudsmen
• Medical experts, such as doctors or nurses
• Nursing home administrators

Other resources you can report nursing home abuse to:

• Senior HelpLine
• Illinois Department of Public Health
• Healthcare and Family Services for Supportive Living Facility Complaints
  • Complaint Hotline: (800) 226-0768, Monday – Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Illinois State Police Medicaid Fraud Unit
  • To report Medicaid Fraud, Abuse, or Neglect, call (888) 557-9503

Where to Report Nursing Home Abuse

Healthcare professionals such as doctors, nurses, and social workers are required by law to report nursing home abuse. Therefore, families do not need to wait for a professional to report nursing home abuse. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) recommends to immediately report any signs of abuse.

Report to Local Authorities

The fastest and most important way to report nursing home abuse is to call 911. The NIA recommends calling 911 immediately if an elder is in life-threatening danger.

911 is a great place to start for a few reasons: you know you will get an immediate response that allows medical authorities to treat a victim of nursing home abuse as quick as possible. In addition, it notifies the police that nursing home abuse may be happening within the facility.

However, if their life is not in life-threatening danger, there may be more appropriate routes to report nursing home abuse.

Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program

Another great option to report nursing home abuse to is your local long-term care Ombudsman. Ombudsmen act as advocates for nursing home residents by helping them address complaints with facility and staff members.

A long-term care Ombudsman: informs residents about new changes in nursing home laws, listens to the concerns of the patient and/or their family, protects residents through legal or administrative action, and provides information regarding different long-term care services.

For those who live in Illinois, you can check out the long-term care Ombudsman program here.

Families can find their long-term care Ombudsman through the National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center.

Doctors, Nurses, or other Medical Experts

By reporting nursing home abuse to doctors, nurses, or other healthcare professionals, they are legally required to report the abuse to authorities. They can also determine if a nursing home resident’s injury was from suspected abuse or an accident.

Want to Confidentially Report Nursing Home Abuse?

Nursing home reports can remain confidential, unless consent is given otherwise. Nursing home abuse often goes underreported because residents are afraid of what will happen if they speak out and treat them worse.

Giving victims the option to anonymously report their abuse, while also addressing the issue of abuse.

Signs of Nursing Home Abuse

Common signs of nursing home abuse may include:

• Bruising or bleeding
• Bed sores or pressure ulcers
• Unexplained financial transactions
• Negative changes in the resident’s mood or behavior
• Unexplained sickness or infections

Any behavior you observe that may look suspicious, write down and take note of it. If you notice any injuries, it’s important to document this, as well, and take pictures of the injuries. Ask residents or other witnesses who saw or knew of the abuse to make a statement to substantiate your claim.

Contact a Nursing Home Abuse Attorney in Chicago, Illinois

After alerting the authorities, it’s important to stay diligent. To ensure a nursing home residents safety after the abuse, follow up on the proper care and support so they’re able to recover from this tragic incident and follow up with the investigation. It’s also important to contact an experience nursing home abuse attorney who can help take some of the burden off your shoulders while you and your loved one recover.

The Dinizulu Law Group has been helping the Chicagoland and Illinois communities holding nursing home facilities, administrators, and staff accountable for the abuse and neglect our clients have unfortunately endured. Our attorneys have the experience, knowledge, and resources to hold your loved one’s nursing home facility responsible. Call our office today for a free consultation at (312) 384-1920 or visit our website for additional information.

CHICAGO, IL – Illinois nursing homes are continuously challenged by an inadequate amount of care workers to provide to residents needs. Although Illinois law requires 2.5 hours of direct care for residents each day, very few residents actually get that amount of direct care time which puts them at risk for abuse and neglect.

Some long-term facilities have routinely been understaffed for years while others manage facilities with little interest in providing attentive, quality resident care. As a result, fall-related injuries among residents are on the rise.

Hazards that can cause fall injuries to occur in nursing homes include:

• Bathtubs without handlebars
• Beds that are set too high
• Broken bed rails
• Improper transfer from wheelchair to bed, bed to toilet, or chair to chair
• Understaffed departments unable to attend to patient’s needs (grooming, toileting, mobility to wheelchair or walker)
• Over-medicating residents with anti-anxiety drugs and sedatives
• Restraints
• Stairs
• Electrical cords
• Poor lighting
• Wet floors
• Loose rugs
• Poorly fitted wheelchairs
• Poorly maintained wheelchairs

Falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths among adults age 65 and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Injuries from Fall Injures in Nursing Homes

Between 50 to 75% of nursing home residents will have a fall each year. When elderly individuals fall, these injuries can be severe as their bones are not able to recover the way a younger person’s bones do. Fall injuries in nursing homes can lead to bone fractures, brain injuries, or even death.

Residents that are prescribed antipsychotics, blood thinners, and anticonvulsant drugs also carry their own extra risk of falling.

Because of how common and well-known fall injuries are in long-term care facilities, staff should take extra precaution and follow care plans that include fall prevention strategies. When improper care is provided and staffing levels are insufficient, it becomes easy for an older adult to become injured by a preventable fall.

The CDC states that the rising number of deaths from falls amongst this older age group can be addressed by “screening for fall risk and intervening to address risk factors such as use of medicines that may increase fall risk, or poor strength and balance.”

Contact a Chicago Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorney

The experienced nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys of Dinizulu Law Group have brought justice for our clients and their families while upholding responsible parties for the abuse and neglect their loved ones endured. If a loved one has sustained serious injuries resulting from a fall at a nursing home, you may be entitled to compensation. There is a time limit to file a case in Illinois, so please contact our office for a free consultation with one of our skilled nursing home attorneys.

If you suspect any fall injury resulting from neglect or abuse at your loved ones nursing home, contact the attorneys of Dinizulu Law Group for a free consultation at (312) 384-1920 or visit our website for more information.

CHICAGO, IL – Construction sites pose a dangerous threat to the lives of construction workers. Catastrophic injuries can occur from defective construction equipment, lack of supervision, improper equipment, and improper training. Illinois negligence and workers’ compensation laws may apply to specific injury related cases. For example, a worker may not meet the eligibility requirement for a workers’ compensation claim, but they may have a claim against a manufacturer of construction equipment or a sub-contractor.

In Illinois, construction accidents are typically resolved according to common law principles of negligence law. The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act works to resolve the claims of workers. Government entities may owe workers a duty to maintain highway conditions and eliminate any harmful risks to workers.

Construction injury claims often entail filing a negligence claim against one or multiple parties. It’s common for there to be more than one defendant which can include a subcontractor, government agency, architect, engineer, manufacturer, distributor, or general contractor. The worker filing the claim must prove they have been injured under negligence law and Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act.

There are at least six different ways that you can receive compensation for your construction injury:

• Workers’ compensation claim
• Lawsuit against one of the other construction companies or subcontractors on the work site
• Product liability lawsuit when construction equipment at the work site malfunctions
• Filing a claim against a coworker that caused the injury
• A lawsuit against your own employer (if exceptions from the workers’ compensation apply)
• Filing a court case against the company that’s responsible for maintaining the work site

Lawsuits Against Subcontractors

While you cannot file a lawsuit as a plaintiff against your own employer for a construction injury accident, there are multiple parties you may hold liable for the negligence. There may be several contractors or subcontractors.

Unlike a workers’ compensation, a personal injury lawsuit requires you prove that someone failed to live up to their standard of care. For example, if you are a subcontractor, you can file a lawsuit against the negligent general contractor if they were at fault for the injuries you sustained.

Product Liability Lawsuits

Defective tools and machinery are the main causes of construction site injuries. Some examples of different machinery that could injure a worker may include:

• Cranes
• Front loaders
• Machine Tools
• Backhoes

You can win a product liability lawsuit if you are able to prove that construction equipment was defectively manufactured, designed, or the company did not adequately warn you of the dangers of the machinery or equipment. For example, the design of a product could be unreasonably dangerous, in which you could receive compensation for. Alternatively, if a crane was not properly assembled, you may also have a product liability case.

Negligent Lawsuits Against A Third Party

There are many other entities you can hold accountable for your injuries through a third-party personal injury claim. For example, the property owner that controls the construction site may be separate from your employer.

You could also bring a civil lawsuit forward against your coworker if they were negligent and it caused your injury; however, you would need to consider the likelihood if they’d be able to pay the verdict.

Workers’ Compensation Claim

The great thing about workers’ compensation claim for a worker is that it is a no-fault system. Meaning if you were partially or completely to blame for what happened, you can still receive compensation. The downside to this type of claim is that the damages you can be paid are limited.

Workers’ compensation benefits allow for the worker to be paid for your lost wages from work that you have actually missed, the cost of medical bills, and other medical expenses. You may also be paid for lost earnings capacity from a construction related injury. However, you cannot receive non-economic damages in this type of claim. This means you cannot recover compensation for physical pain and suffering or punitive damages.

Filing a Lawsuit Against Your Own Employer

When filing an injury lawsuit, you ideally would want to file a personal injury claim against your own employer. A general rule typically is a worker must be able to prove much more than negligence.

Illinois law have very limited exceptions that would allow you to sue. You typically can only file a personal injury lawsuit against an employer if they acted intentionally or if they didn’t have workers’ compensation insurance. Illinois also does not have a gross negligent standard, as there are in many other states.

What to do If You’ve Been Injured at a Construction Site

If you’re working on a construction site and have been injured, you should call an experience personal injury attorney right away. An attorney can help identify the negligent party, and in these types of cases, there’s often multiple parties to be held accountable.

The seasoned practitioners of Dinizulu Law Group have secured multi-million dollar verdicts and policies for our clients by holding negligent parties accountable for work-related injuries. Our attorneys have the resources and knowledge that is able to secure damages for your case. Call our office today for a free, no obligation consultation at (312) 384-1920 or visit our website for more information.

CHICAGO, IL – Putting your loved one in a long-term care facility is a tough decision for anyone to make. Many people worry the quality of care their loved one will receive from nursing homes and what is going on behind closed doors. Unfortunately, issues such as understaffing and inadequate staff training have led to nursing home neglect in facilities across the country. When nursing home staff acts negligently or the facility is not equipped with appropriate safety measures, serious fall accidents are more likely to occur.

Falling is Often Catastrophic or Deadly for Elderly or Disabled Residents

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in four Americans aged 65 and older have a fall each year. In 2018 alone, approximately 36 million falls were reported among seniors. Of those, more than 8 million required medical attention for at least one day; shockingly, more 32,000 elders died from the fall and the injuries they sustained.

Some falls may only result in bruising or abrasions; however, other falls may result in broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spine injuries, or even death.

Those who suffer from an impairment like Alzheimer’s or dementia, or arthritis, diabetes, anemia, impaired sight or hearing, and neuropathy are a greater fall risk than those without these conditions.

How Nursing Homes Can Prevent Fall Injuries

There are many precautions that can be taken to prevent fall injuries from occurring; however, some of the best ways to prevent nursing home falls include:

• Nursing home staff should always be attentive towards residents. Proper equipment should be made available to residents who require extra assistance. These residents should always receive the proper foot care, shoes, and appropriate walking aides.
• All staff members should be trained on fall prevention strategies, as well as the risks involved when a resident suffers a fall.
• Every resident should have a completed risk assessment which includes all past accidents and falls, medications taken, and general physical health. Risk assessments identify which residents are high risks for falls, develop interventions to prevent falls, discuss at-risk residents and modify changes in care plan, and carry out investigations, including root cause analysis, when a fall occurs.
• Nursing homes should never have any environmental hazards, and if they do, should be removed immediately. Environmental hazards in nursing home facilities include: poor lighting, slippery floors, debris in walkways, improper exit signs, improperly maintained or fitted wheelchairs, incorrect bed height, broken equipment, and more.
• Nursing homes should carefully avoid incorrect bed heights and faulty bed rails. Faulty bed rails and incorrect bed heights account for nearly 30 percent of nursing home falls nationwide.
• Exercise programs, including stretching, physical therapy, and balance should be available for all residents. Statistics show that although exercises may not help with preventing falls, it will help improve strength and balance which can lessen injuries if a fall were to occur.

How A Fall Injury Can Impact a Nursing Home Resident’s Life

Suffering from a fall can change a senior’s life. Some negative consequences of a fall occurring can include:

Robbing a person of mobility and independence: A person who was once able to walk around on their own may now have to use a cane, walker, or wheelchair to get around. A resident may also become less active because they are afraid.

A person can fracture a leg, hip, or other bone in a fall: If they try to break their fall, they may break an arm or wrist in the process. If they hit their head while suffering a fall, it could result in traumatic brain injury.

A fall can cause an elderly person to undergo surgery: Surgery opens the door of many potential complications, such as surgical infections or blood clots.

Long recuperation and painful physical therapy: Older people heal much more slowly when trying to recover from an injury. When a person suffers a severe injury, they will likely have a lengthy recovery time that often involves physical therapy.

Less mobility: Less mobility puts a person at a much higher risk of developing pneumonia, bed sores, and other health complications. Initially, the patient will be lying in bed much more while recovering, so staff members must be vigilant to prevent these issues.

What to do If You Suspect Your Loved One Has Sustained a Fall Injury

A nursing home may be held liable for a fall accident if staff members acted negligently, or the nursing home was not kept in a reasonably safe condition which resulted in your loved ones fall. If you suspect that your loved one’s fall was caused by nursing home negligence, contact the attorney’s of Dinizulu Law Group. Our experienced nursing home negligence attorney’s have the knowledge and resources to bring justice for your loved one. Call our office today at (312) 384-1920 for a free consultation today or visit our website for more information.