Blog | Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd

Nursing Home Resident Dies From An Improper Diet

April 14, 2017/in Blog, Elder abuse, nursing home neglect, Uncategorized, Video/by Yao Dinizulu

Nursing homes can be a big help when you have elderly loved ones who need help caring for themselves. When you admit your loved one, you trust that they will be properly taken care of. Part of that care includes receiving adequate nutrition. So, what happens when your loved is not receiving adequate nutrition? Watch the video to learn more.

I had a former client who lost her mother due to improper nutrition while staying at a nursing facility. When her mother was admitted to the facility, she was 77 and in overall good health. She had a diagnosis of dementia and dsyphagia, or difficulty eating. The specific nursing home that the client’s mother was staying in was severely understaffed, which lead to the woman falling six times, with the final fall resulting in a fatality.

The fall in and of itself did not cause the patient’s death, but what happened as a result of the final fall did. Because the physician was never contacted to check on the patient after the final fall, they were not able to see the depressed state of her nutrition. She was not being properly monitored by the nursing home staff to make sure that she was eating and drinking enough to meet her daily caloric and liquid intake. Within three days, the patient began to show effects of starvation, and she became non-responsive. With that, she was rushed to the emergency room and diagnosed with severe dehydration.

Due to the severe dehydration, the patient fell into a coma and died within several days. The emergency room physician gave a testimony that was favorable, and the case was settled shortly after. You need to know how important it is that your loved one receives proper nutrition during their stay in a nursing home. Watch the video to learn more.

Dealing with nursing home neglect can be difficult. The compassionate and experienced Chicago nursing home neglect attorneys at the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. are on your side. If you have questions, please email or call us at 312-384-1920 or 1-800-693-1LAW. Our Chicago nursing home abuse lawyers are here for you. You may also learn more about nursing home abuse through our media page where you will find more videos and content on this important subject.

How Much Does It Cost to File a Nursing Home Lawsuit in Chicago?

April 13, 2017/in Blog, Elder abuse/by Yao Dinizulu

Nursing home abuse is a widespread problem in the United States. Sadly, many people who are abused and neglected at nursing homes never take legal action because they fear retaliation or they are concerned about the cost of filing a lawsuit. However, if your lawsuit is successful, your recovery will pay for your case costs, and taking action may save other residents from the same mistreatment.

CNN: Sexual Assault Is More Common in Nursing Homes than Most Families Realize

April 11, 2017/in Blog, nursing home neglect, Sexual harassment/by Yao Dinizulu

CNN reports that nursing home abuse is a serious problem across the country, but most families don’t realize just how common it is. Nursing home residents are more vulnerable than the general population, and caregivers often take advantage of that vulnerability through abuse, negligence, or financial exploitation.

How Common is Sexual Harassment?

March 31, 2017/in Blog, Sexual abuse, Sexual harassment, Uncategorized, Workplace Discrimination/by Yao Dinizulu

A few months ago, a Chicago-based panel hosted by Justice Anne Burke discussed sexual harassment in the workplace. Stories range from severely aggressive encounters to the less obvious. For example, one woman explains how a man in a position of authority kissed her despite her obvious attempts to push him away. A national study quoted by panel participants indicates that 1 in 3 women are sexually harassed in the workplace, with a significant amount of those occurrences happening in the food services and hospitality industries.

Sexual harassment takes many forms, and it may not always be obvious. While touching, groping, and indecent exposure may be obvious, jokes, inappropriate compliments or over sharing can also fall into the category of sexual harassment. This form of harassment is not just limited to women either. Data provided by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission shows that between 1997 and 2011 between 11% and 16% of all sexual harassment charges were made by men.

Under Illinois Law You Must File your Claim Within 180 Days of Harassment

Under the Illinois Human Rights Act, the state has declared that as a matter of public policy, individuals should be free from sexual harassment in employment situations as well as in academic settings. It further defines sexual harassment as any unwelcome sexual advance or request for sexual favors either explicitly or implicitly. A sexual harassment charge must be made within 180 days of the incident, thus time is of the essence. If you have been the victim of inappropriate behavior in the workplace, you should contact our sexual harassment lawyers right away.

Experienced Attorneys Knows What to Look for in a Sexual Harassment Case

Proving that you were sexually harassed can be difficult as much of the evidence is based on one person claiming something happened and the other person saying that it did not. If you suspect that you are being sexually harassed, then you should document any occurrence and save any hard evidence that will help you prove your case. Additionally, the person you accuse of the harassment is prohibited from destroying records that may incriminate them but that does not always mean that they will act accordingly.

Our experienced sexual abuse attorneys will help you identify the evidence you need to build your case and will also look for any additional wrongful behaviors your harasser may be committing. At the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd., our experienced and compassionate discrimination and sexual harassment attorneys in Chicago understand the laws prohibiting sexual harassment both in the state of Illinois and on the federal level. Please contact us right away if you suspect that you are falling victim to sexual harassment in any form. Our initial consultation is at no cost to you.

How to Prove Nursing Home Negligence

March 30, 2017/in Blog, Elder abuse/by Yao Dinizulu

It is natural to feel nervous about enrolling a loved one in a long-term care facility. Recent studies show that nursing home abuse is alarmingly common in the United States. According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, there is no way to know for sure just how prevalent elder abuse is, but researchers estimate that nearly 50 percent of people with dementia have been victims of some kind of abuse.

5 Telltale Signs of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

March 27, 2017/in Blog, Elder abuse/by Yao Dinizulu

Caring for an aging loved one can be a full-time job, and even the most devoted children may not be able to commit the time it takes to provide sufficient care and attention. If you are in this situation, you may be considering the benefits of finding a high-quality nursing home for your relative; however, it is important to remember that nursing home abuse and neglect are alarmingly common, and all it takes is one poorly trained staff member to injure your loved one.

4 Boys Molested by Camp Counselor

March 24, 2017/in Blog, Sexual abuse, Sexual harassment, Uncategorized/by Yao Dinizulu

Camps for kids are supposed to be fun. Your child is supposed to create wonderful memories there. However, inappropriate conduct by counselors and staff can taint their memories. What can you do if you suspect sexual abuse? Watch the video to learn more.

Unfortunately, the sexual abuse of minors is a big issue. The adults in charge of children are supposed to offer support and guidance to campers while acting in an appropriate way, but hiring practices and negligent staff can sometimes lead to the occurrence of sexual abuse.

Let’s consider a hypothetical example. Your teen is away at summer camp. When they come home, they tell you that one of their counselors sexually abused them. How could this happen? The counselor was sneaky and targeted those boys who looked as if they lacked financial support. The counselor coerced your child with candy and treats and employed various religious tactics to make them appear innocent to the campers and their families. They acted as he perfect predator. How do we prove it?

In response, we first we have to talk to the counselor’s supervisor. We see what they know and pull the employee’s file. Upon investigation of the counselor’s file, we discover his application, where he was required to list references. We ask the supervisor whether he had called the references. We proceed with calling them ourselves to find out what they would say. One reference tells us that the counselor is a predator and should not work with anyone’s children. If the supervisor had called the references, he would have found that out and would not have hired the counselor. Because of bad hiring practices, the case would be settled for a significant amount of money under a confidentiality clause which limits what can be said about the case after litigation. Watch the video to learn more.

Dealing with sexual abuse can be difficult. The compassionate and experienced sexual harassment lawyers at the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. are on your side. If you have questions, please email or call us at 312-384-1920 or 1-800-693-1LAW. Our Chicago sexual abuse attorneys are here for you. You may also find more videos and media content on sexual abuse from the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. on our media page.

How to Identify Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

March 24, 2017/in Blog, Sexual abuse, Sexual harassment, Video, Workplace Discrimination/by Yao Dinizulu

Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination. In the workplace, it is illegal under Title VII law. So, how do you define it and what does it look like? Watch the video to learn more.

There are both federal and state laws the protect individuals from workplace sexual harassment. Title VII is the federal law that protects employees in businesses with 15 or more employees. Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances or conduct that interferes with an employee’s ability to work or that creates an offensive or a hostile workplace environment. It happens across genders.

There are two forms of harassment to know about. The first is quid pro quo. This is when a person in charge demands that employees tolerate sexual conduct in order to keep their jobs or retain their access to things such as promotions. One claim is usually enough to establish a quid pro quo case.

The second type of harassment is hostile work environment harassment. The conduct has to be repeated and deemed offensive enough to create a hostile work environment to have a legal backing. The court will take into account what type of conduct it was, the frequency of the conduct, whether or not he conduct was offensive, whether the harasser is a coworker or supervisor, who else joined in, and whether the harassment included others. Watch the video to learn more.

Navigating sexual abuse cases can be confusing, and it helps immensely to have experienced sexual harassment lawyers on your side. If you have questions about sexual harassment, please email or call us at 312-384-1920 or 1-800-693-1LAW. Our experienced Chicago-based sexual abuse and job discrimination attorneys are here for you. You may also find more videos and media content from the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. on our media page.

Can Chronic Stress Lead to Alzheimer’s?

March 13, 2017/in Blog, Elder abuse/by Yao Dinizulu

Chronic stress is incredibly detrimental to your overall health, and it can have a negative effect on every organ system in the body. According to the Alzheimer’s Society, researchers have already found a link between stress and diseases like heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and certain kinds of cancer. Now, they have started exploring the link between chronic stress and the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

What Happens When A Resident Falls In A Nursing Home?

March 10, 2017/in Blog, Elder abuse, nursing home neglect, Uncategorized/by Yao Dinizulu

If you have a loved one in a nursing home, chances are that they have fallen at least once. The scary part is that sometimes serious injuries can’t be sustained. Nursing homes do not always react to falls and injuries as they should.

Studies have shown that 50% of nursing home residents have fallen at least once. These falls can cause injuries that can lead to serious conditions. Contusions or abrasions can cause broken skin. Broken skin can lead to bed sores in patients that are bed-ridden. In some cases, bedsores can lead to infections such as Sepsis due to the open wound and bodily positions that may contribute to this serious problem.

Other types of injuries that can be sustained are broken bones and head injuries. The broken bones can either be displaced or non-displaced. This means that the break can be a complete break, in which the bone snaps in two and the pieces become displaced, or the break can snap partially or all the way, but still be in place. Head injuries can include concussions, skull fractures, and scalp wounds.

Because these injuries can be serious, you should be sure to make sure that the nursing home has procedures in place when a resident falls. Make sure they contact you and that they maintain proper care and oversight of any injuries that happen as a result of the fall. Watch the video to learn more.

If you have questions about nursing home falls or if you suspect nursing home neglect or abuse, please email or call us at 1-312-384-1920 or 1-800-693-1LAW. Our experienced Chicago-based nursing home abuse attorneys are here for you. You may also find more videos and media content from the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. on our media page.