Uncategorized | Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd

Product Recall: Cancer-Causing Sunscreens

July 27, 2021/in Blog, Uncategorized/by Yao Dinizulu

CHICAGO, IL – Johnson & Johnson announced on July 14, 2021 that it was recalling some of its aerosol sunscreen products after finding traces of benzene in them. Benzene is a known carcinogen that’s linked to blood cancers, like leukemia, depending on the length and level of exposure. If you used a sunscreen containing benzene and believe that your cancer may be related to it, the product liability attorneys at the Dinizulu Law Group can help.

When consumers are harmed by a dangerous product, they have a right to pursue compensation from the negligent manufacturer or other defendant through a product liability case. Consumers can recover compensation for pain and suffering, loss of income, medical expenses, and other damages, if you have a skilled attorney.

Sunscreens That Have Been Recalled

The recall includes five Johnson and Johnson products, including Aveeno and Neutrogena. The sunscreens that have been recalled include:

Neutrogena® Beach Defense
Neutrogena® Cool Dry Sport
Neutrogena® Invisible Daily Defense
Neutrogena® Ultra Sheer
Aveno® Protect + Refresh

Why Were the Sunscreens Recalled?

Valisure, an independent lab and online pharmacy, filed a citizen petition with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after it allegedly found traces of benzene in various sunscreen products. Valisure tested several samples from various sunscreen products and found higher than acceptable concentration levels of benzene.

What is Benzene?

Benzene is a colorless, flammable liquid with a sweet odor and evaporates when it’s exposed to air, according to the American Cancer Society. Benzene is formed when manufacturing plastics, rubber, paint, and fossil fuel emissions.

Exposure to benzene can cause adverse health effects. According to the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention, people who breathe in high levels of benzene may develop the following signs and symptoms within minutes to several hours:

Drowsiness
Dizziness
Rapid or irregular heartbeat
Headaches
Tremors
Confusion
Unconsciousness
Vomiting or irritation of the stomach
Death (at very high levels)

Benzene is associated with a range of acute and long-term adverse health effects, including cancer and anemia. Benzene is classified as “carcinogenic to humans,” according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, due to sufficient evidence showing that it causes acute myeloid leukemia and various other forms of leukemia.

Signs of leukemia may include:

Fever or chills
Fatigue
Unexplained weight loss
Persistent fatigue or weakness
Frequent or severe infections
Easy bleeding or bruising
Tiny red skin spots
Swollen lymph nodes
Frequent nosebleeds

The Link Between Benzene and Cancer

Benzene is known to cause cancer in humans when they have been exposed to high-levels of benzene. The World Health Organization says that people who have experienced benzene poisoning show an increased risk of mortality from leukemia. Chronic exposure to benzene can reduce the production of red and white blood cells, B-cell proliferation, and T-cell proliferation.

Valisure reports that some of the sunscreen products that it tested contained levels of benzene that “significantly surpassed” 2 part per million . To put this into perspective, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommends workers who are exposed to benzene to wear protective equipment at benzene concentrations of 0.1 part per million (ppm).

Do You Have a Claim for Compensation?

You may have a claim for compensation if you:

Have been diagnosed with blood cancer – You have a documented medical record that shows you have leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, or other medical conditions associated with benzene exposure.
Can prove usage – You have unused bottles or receipts showing you purchased one of the affected products.
Have significant exposure – a one-time use of a product is likely not enough to establish benzene poisoning through the product. You must be able to show that you have used the product for several years. You may have medical records that support your long-term use of one of the recalled sunscreen products.
Are not a smoker – because smoking is associated with cancer, it is easier to establish something else caused the cancer if you are not a smoker.

How the Dinizulu Law Group Can Help

If you believe you were exposed to benzene through the use of sunscreen or another product that led to your cancer or leukemia, reach out to the attorneys at the Dinizulu Law Group. Our diverse team and top litigators have the resources and skills to aggressively fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact us today for your free consultation at (312) 384-1920.

Illinois Increases Funding for Chicago Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program

July 25, 2021/in Blog, Uncategorized/by Yao Dinizulu

CHICAGO, IL – Nursing home abuse and neglect are ever-present issue throughout the industry, but especially in Chicago and throughout Illinois, and the state government has made efforts to provide a variety of resources for victims and their families. One resource is the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program, which provides a variety of services to those living in a nursing home or similar facility. Governor J.B. Pritzker has recently announced an increase in funding for the Chicago region of the program. The goal is to ensure that it is adequately staffed to meet residents’ needs.

What Does the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program Do?

The Illinois Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP) is a resident-directed advocacy program that protects and improves the quality of life for residents in various long-term care settings. Ombudsmen work to resolve problems of individual residents and to bring about changes at the local, state, and national levels to improve overall care.

Regional branches of the program have been established throughout Illinois to support residents of different counties, and the services they provide are offered at no cost.

Some of the services the program offers include:

Information and education regarding the rights of nursing home residents
Information about facility options for those in need of long-term care
Support for nursing home residents to help them advocate their own needs and interests
Advocacy for the rights and well-being of nursing home residents at the state and national level

The LTCOP also investigates complaints from residents, family members, nursing home staff, and other parties regarding the possible instances of abuse and neglect. If an investigation is conducted, it can result in appropriate consequences for the facility and protection from future abuse and neglect for the resident.

The recent announcement of an increase in funding for the Chicago regional program will hopefully mean that more investigators will soon be available, and complaints can be addressed and resolved in a more timely manner.

Other Resources for Victims of Nursing Home Abuse

If you or a loved one is being abused or neglected in your long-term care facility, notifying your regional Ombudsman is just one of many ways you can get help. The Illinois Department of Public Health also operates a Nursing Home Complaint Hotline, that you can report abuse and neglect to at (800) 252-4343.

You can also work with a nursing home abuse attorney to better understand your legal rights and options for recovering compensation for economic and non-economic damages that you or your loved one has suffered.

How the Dinizulu Law Group Can Help You

There are people who can assist you in your struggles with nursing home abuse and neglect. At the Dinizulu Law Group, we represent those who want to hold a nursing home accountable for the harm they have caused, and help connect you with other resources that offer additional help. Contact our Cook County nursing home abuse lawyers for a free consultation at (312) 384-1920.

Staffing Rates Suffer Even as Nursing Homes Seek Additional Funding in Illinois

July 21, 2021/in Blog, Uncategorized/by Yao Dinizulu

CHICAGO, IL – Understaffed nursing facilities and neglect dominate the long-term care industry. Residents are more inclined to suffer from a serious fall, choke on food, or miss their medication due to understaffing issues. Staff who are available are overworked and underpaid, leading to exhaustion and fatal mistakes.

No-Strings Attached Funding

Illinois news coverage has been filled with requests for an increased amount of state funding for private nursing homes in recent months. At the same time, the Health Care Council of Illinois asked for $486 million dollars, and want no-strings attached. The for-profit lobbying group opposes legislation from Governor J.B. Pritzker’s administration allocating some of the money on hiring more staff and eliminating ward-style rooming, where patients can share the same room.

Investigations Show Ongoing Problems

The industry has a myriad of failures: failure in transparency and accountability in how public funds are put to use, failure to hire enough staff, and failure to reduce hazardous overcrowding. In 2019, Illinois ranked last in nursing home staffing levels.

Although nursing home facilities are pleading for more funding, investigations have shown that for-profit nursing homes still make donations to lawmakers and hide their profits by paying enormous fees via real estate companies and vendors that the owners of the nursing homes control.

What Can You Do?

If your loved one is in a nursing home, or you’re thinking of placing your loved one in a nursing facility, you have a good reason to be concerned about potential hazards. The most important thing you can do to protect your loved one is to keep a close eye on the conditions of the facility. Don’t hesitate to contact an experienced lawyer to help you understand whether there are concerning conditions of neglect.

Contact a Cook County Nursing Home Lawyer

If you believe that understaffing in your loved ones nursing home has led to negligent behavior, the lawyers at the Dinizulu Law Group can help you hold the nursing home accountable. We have extensive experience helping victims of nursing home abuse and their loved ones get financial relief and peace of mind. Contact our office for a free consultation today at (312) 384-1920.

What Should I Do If I Delayed Filing My Car Accident Claim?

July 19, 2021/in Blog, Uncategorized/by Yao Dinizulu

CHICAGO, IL – The aftermath of a car accident is far from enjoyable. It can be a stressful time full of uncertainty about your health and finances. For one reason or another, you may have put off taking care of your car accident claim. If you did delay your car accident claim, it’s not too late to go after compensation for your injuries.

Reasons a Car Accident Claim May Be Delayed

Many people are confused after a car accident and don’t know what to do, which may hurt their personal injury claim. Many people delay claims because they didn’t know their injuries were serious, didn’t know they could seek compensation, or because dealing with injuries resulting from the car crash has been more important.

You Didn’t Know Your Injuries Were Serious

If you’ve been injured in a car accident, it’s important to seek medical treatment immediately. Many injured drivers and passengers delay contacting a personal injury lawyer because they think their injuries are not worth pursuing. As weeks and months pass, you may begin to realize your pain isn’t going away and your medical bills are adding up.

Injuries resulting from a car collision are a sign that something more serious is happening. If you put off delaying the care you need, it can be critical to your health and personal injury claim. A delay in medical treatment makes it harder to make a connection between the car accident and your injuries when filing a claim.

For example, you may have been rear-ended at a stop light but didn’t immediately seek medical treatment. A year later, you still have shooting pain throughout your back. It will be more difficult to prove that your injury was a result of the rear-end collision.

You Didn’t Know You Could Seek Compensation

You may have relied solely on your own income and resources to cover your medical expenses and vehicle repairs after a car accident. It may not be too late to recover those cost from the person who is responsible for causing your injuries. As long as you can prove what damages caused your accident, you can seek compensation for those costs, as well as pain and suffering. An experienced personal injury lawyer will help prove both liability and how the accident has impacted you.

Dealing With Your Injuries After an Accident

Injuries, whether life-threatening or not, can prevent a victim from pursuing a claim within a timely manner. Your injuries may be severe enough to result in a hospital stay, or leave you in an unresponsive state.

A lawyer’s experience is critical in these types of claims, especially after catastrophic injuries. You will need substantial compensation to assist with long-term effects and future medical bills for severe and chronic injuries.

Statute of Limitations in Illinois

The statute of limitations in Illinois for car accident claims is two years, under most circumstances. This means you have two years from the date the motor vehicle accident occurred to file a claim. So, it’s best to consult with a lawyer immediately.

Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer in Chicago, Illinois

Don’t let your delay of filing an injury claim prevent you from seeking compensation. If you or a loved one was injured in a car accident but didn’t file a claim right away, speak to one of the experience attorney’s at the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. We will evaluate your case and let you know honestly if you have a case. If moving forward is an option for your case, we will work diligently to meet the needs of your case and pursue maximum compensation for your injuries. Call us now for a free initial case evaluation at (312) 384-1920.

Concussions from Personal Injury Accidents: Causes, Symptoms, and Complications

July 11, 2021/in Blog, Uncategorized/by Yao Dinizulu

CHICAGO, IL – If you’ve been in a car accident, you know how common concussions are. Concussions affect everyone differently, which can make it difficult to manage. Brain injuries, such as concussions, can leave sufferers with long-term challenges and changes that can impact a person for the rest of their life.

Concussions are very common, and people everyday experience events that leave them concussed and left to deal with life-altering symptoms that linger. For example, you could slip and fall in your driveway going to get the mail and suffer from a concussion.

Some concussions are caused by others negligence. It’s important to understand the common causes of concussions, symptoms to look out for, and complications you should be made aware of.

Overview of a Concussion

Concussions are classified as traumatic brain injuries that alter a persons normal brain function. Concussions are normally a result of a violent jolt or force to the head, which causes the brain to slam against the inner wall of your skull.

A person will usually suffer from short-term side effects, including:

Headache
Temporary loss of consciousness
Feeling as if your brain is foggy
Dizziness
Delayed response to questions
Ringing in your ears
Nausea and vomiting
Fatigue
Lack of balance
Problems concentrating

Concussions are divided into three main categories, which are graded by severity:

Grade 1 – Low-Grade: You may experience a headache, difficulty focusing, memory loss, nausea, and dizziness. You can typically return to normal activities within a few days following a Grade 1 concussion, after symptoms have fully passed.
Grade 2 – Mid-Grade: This is a moderate type of concussion that is similar to a grade 1 concussion; however, a grade 2 concussion typically involves a brief loss of consciousness that can last shorter or longer than 5 minutes. This type of concussion requires many days of rest before returning to normal activities.
Grade 3 – High-Grade: A severe concussion is where you can lose consciousness for more than 5 minutes. Symptoms may last for weeks before they begin to subside. You are at-risk of permanent brain damage with a grade 3 concussion.

Causes of a Concussion

Our brains have the consistency of gelatin, in which it is cushioned by everyday jolts and bumps to our heads. A violent blow to your head or upper body can cause your brain to forcefully slide back and forth against the inter walls of your skull, according to Mayo Clinic.

Concussions may lead to bleeding in or around your brain, causing symptoms such as prolonged drowsiness and confusion. You can feel an onset of symptoms immediately or later.

Risk Factors

Activities and factors that may increase your risk of a concussion include:

Participating in high-risk sports, including football, hockey, soccer, boxing, rugby, and other contact sports
Participating in high-risk sports without property safety equipment and supervision
Falling, especially for young children and older adults
Being involved in a motor vehicle collision
Being involved in a pedestrian or bicycle accident
Being a soldier involved in combat
Being a victim of physical abuse
Having had a previous concussion

Complications

Potential complications of a concussion may include:

Post-traumatic headaches: You may experience concussion-related headaches up to 7 days after a brain injury.
Post-traumatic vertigo: Some people experience a sense of dizziness for days, weeks, or months after suffering from a brain injury.
Post-concussion syndrome: A small portion of people have symptoms including headaches, dizziness, and thinking difficulties that persist past 3 weeks. If these symptoms last more than 3 months it’s characterized as post-concussion syndrome.
Second impact syndrome: This is rare to happen, but when it does, this is experiencing a second concussion before signs and symptoms of a first concussion have resolved, as it may result in rapid and fatal brain swelling. Athletes should never return to sports while they still have signs and symptoms of a concussion.

Contact an Experienced Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer

The skilled attorneys of the Dinizulu Law Group are here to help you understand your legal options. A brain injury claim can be filed to help you receive compensation for any losses or damages you accrued as a result of another’s negligence.

The personal injury lawyers at the Dinizulu Law Group are ready to help you navigate through these difficult times. Contact us today for a free case consultation at (312) 384-1920 and to start getting your life back.

How Social Media Can Impact Your Personal Injury Case

July 11, 2021/in Blog, Uncategorized/by Yao Dinizulu

CHICAGO, IL – We live in a time where social media is inevitable and we are accustomed to posting details of our life – some that can may be used against us. If you’ve recently been involved in a personal injury case, social media can backfire if you’re not careful what you post.

Celebrating triumphs and venting about tough times are things you typically see on your newsfeed or while clicking through stories. No matter how private your account may be, there is plenty of information on the internet about you – no matter how secure you think your profile is.

Can Social Media Posts be Admissible in Illinois Courts?

Illinois courts considered Electronically Stored Information (ESI) to be admissible under some circumstances. This can include any emails, texts, Twitter direct messages, Facebook statuses, Instagram stories, or other forms of electronic communication.

In order for your electronic communications to be admissible in Illinois courts, the content must meet four criteria:

It must be relevant.
It must be valuable to the defendant’s case.
It cannot be hearsay.
It must be authentic, meaning it was created by or about the defendant.

So, now you know your social media posts can be used against you in court, and by insurance companies to discredit your personal injury claim. Now let’s discuss what you can do to prevent this information from harming your case.

Don’t Post About Your Accident or Case on Social Media

After something traumatic has happened, it’s natural to want to discuss this with friends and family, and post about it on social media. The best thing you can do after you’ve been involved in an accident is not to not share any information about your injuries, accident, or case with anyone.

While it’s important to take pictures and videos of the scene of an accident; however, do not share these on social media. Sharing too many details on social media can be seen as trivializing your injuries. Insurance companies will use anything to discredit your injuries so they don’t have to pay, or lower your settlement, so it’s important to not give them a reason to discredit you.

This gives the defense and insurance companies an opportunity to rethink their approach to the case, and better prepare themselves.

Even Innocent Posts May Contradict Your Claim

The defense can frame your innocent posts to make them contradict your claim. What you may think is an innocent post can look misconstrued to the court. For example, a photo of you at a wedding won’t show that you were actually watching from a chair because you were too injured from your car accident to participate in celebrating, although you had plans to go for months. This type of evidence in powerful in injury cases.

Don’t Let Others Comment About Your Case

Comments from relatives and friends can also hurt your case. For example, lets say you were rear-ended by a semi-tractor trailer and were seriously injured. Your relative comments on your photo asking how you’re doing. You comment back a white lie to not worry your family saying, “Don’t worry Aunt Betty! I’m okay.” This could also seriously damage your case.

In turn, ask family and friends to also not post about you or your case. This can be just as damaging as you posting about it yourself.

Change Your Profile to “Private” and Don’t Post

While you have an ongoing case, the best thing you can do on social media is switching your profile to “private” and not post. This will help prevent your information from being readily available; however, it doesn’t make it impossible for a lawyer to access your profile. Some lawyers can even file motions in court to access your social media accounts.

Find an Illinois Personal Injury Lawyer

If you’re wondering if a post can impact your case, it’s best to not post about it at all. One innocent post can jeopardize your entire case, causing you to not receive the compensation you deserve for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

The skilled lawyers of the Dinizulu Law Group have your best interests in mind. Our attorneys have the knowledge and resources to work to secure compensation for our injured clients. Call for a free consultation so we can help guide you and the steps you should take following a personal injury case. Call our office now at (312) 384-1920 or visit our website for additional information.

What is Considered a Defective Product?

July 5, 2021/in Blog, Uncategorized/by Yao Dinizulu

CHICAGO, IL – Research from the U.S. Consumers Product Safety Commission indicates manufacturer defects cause 29.4 million injuries and 21,400 death each year in the United States. Frequent sources of deadly products include automobiles, medications, business construction equipment, lawn sprays, home building components, and more.

Types of Manufacturer Defects that Can Lead to Claims

When identifying whether or not you may have a product liability claim, it’s important to understand there are three broad categories for which defendants can be held liable for personal injury or other damages.

Manufacturing Defect Cause of Action

These are these most frequent types of product liability claims. These are the most common types of claims. This is a type of defective product that was not intended. This assumes the design of the item was reasonable and safe, and the manufacturer deviated from the safe design and produced the good in a defective manner.

Imagine your riding down the street on your moped. You go to brake and realize the brakes are missing and suddenly crash and hurt yourself severely. This is an example of a manufacturing defect, or product liability claim.

Design Defects and Liability Claims

A defective product may enter the stream of commerce because its defectively designed. A defective design means that the product was manufactured correctly, but that there is something in the way the product is designed that makes it dangerous to consumers.

For example, a chair designed with only three legs might be considered a defectively designed product because it tips over too easily.

Failure to Warn Product Liability Claims

Failure to warn in a products liability case is the legal liability that can attach when a product manufacturer doesn’t adequately instruct consumers about how to use their product correctly.

For example, a match book would not be required to come with a warning stating that the matches may start a fire; however, an automobile manufacturer would be liable for failing to warn that the seats in the car might collapse if the driver was overweight.

Determining Liability in a Product Liability Accident

After you and your legal counsel determine what is to be a defective product, you should discuss the parties who can be held responsible for the defective product: the manufacturer, the owner, or the seller.

Manufacturers: Manufacturers can be held liable for a product(s) that contain a flaw in their manufacture or design. This must occur under their control. The defective manufacturing must render the item defective before any use by the consumer for the adequate claim to succeed.

Owners: On occasion, the product defect can be exacerbated by unsafe, unreasonable, or negligent conduct. If someone recklessly used a defective product, you could potentially sue that person and include them in your cause of action against the defendant in your product liability claim.

Sellers: Whoever sold you the defective product could face scrutiny in a similar claim. They must have known about the defective condition, design, instructions, or label prior to the sale and accident for you to succeed in a legal claim.

Talk to a Product Liability Lawyer in Illinois About Your Recovery Today

The attorneys of the Dinizulu Law Group help personal injury victims every day. Our firm has the knowledge, resources, and skills in order to help you hold those responsible liable for your injuries. To receive a free consultation today, please call us at (312) 384-1920 or visit our website for additional information.

Recovering Lost Wages in Personal Injury Cases

July 4, 2021/in Blog, Uncategorized/by Yao Dinizulu

CHICAGO, IL – If you’ve been involved in an accident, you know how overwhelming the situation can be – especially if you’ve been injured. The ramifications of a car accident can impact several aspects of your livelihood. You may have suffered catastrophic injuries and be unable to return to work, preventing you to contributing as the main source of income for your family. You may struggle to pay rent or your mortgage, food, utility bills, and other expenses you face.

Whatever the case may be, it may be possible for you to recover lost wages with the help of a knowledgable personal injury attorney. Learning about your rights to compensation is essential when first beginning this process.

Step 1: Assess the Situation

If you have only missed a few weeks of work or already returned, this situation would be pretty straightforward. It will be easy for you to assert your right to compensation. In more complex cases where someone may be unable to return to work for months or years, it’s in your best interest to obtain a personal injury attorney will assess whether you can still file a claim under Illinois’ statue of limitations. It’s possible your attorney could settle the case outside of court to make the process fairly simple for you.

Step 2: Understand What Recovery is Available

Understanding what recovery you could receive for your injuries is the next step. You may receive lost earning capacity, past lost wages, and future lost wages when you have missed work due to an injury after a car accident.

The plaintiff must be able to prove that they were so injured or that their injures will require life-long medical care that a future ability to earn an income is impaired. The court considers many factors when determining if someone is eligible for future earning capacity. These factors may include your current health, life expectancy, age, income level, talents, experience, skills, education, and much more. Furthermore, the court will consider the past income level to determine the appropriate income figure for loss of earning.

The court will add up the number of days from the time of the injury to the date of settlement to determine the total amount of wages that person will be entitled to receive over a period of time.

Step 3: Consider Your Line of Work or Occupation

Depending if you are salary or hourly, this will ultimately impact the amount of compensation that you will receive.

Salaried employees will take the total amount of annual salary that they receive. The court will then divide the total salary amount by 2,080 to determine the hourly rate that will be used when calculating damages. They will then multiply that number by the number of days you have missed or hours you have worked.

On the other hand, hourly employees is much less intensive. The court only multiplies the total number of hours missed from work by an hourly rate. This figure may also include overtime the plaintiff was forced to miss due to injuries.

Step 4: Consider What Other Damages Available

It’s important to consider what other damages may be available to you. This is why it’s important to have an experienced personal injury attorney who can explain the types of damages that may be offered to you.

For example, you may be entitled to receive damages for:

Future medical expenses
Pain and suffering
Mental anguish
Loss of consortium
Loss of companionship
Permanent Disability
Disfigurement
And other damages

Because of how many damages you can collect compensation for, you should contact a personal injury lawyer to help you determine what types of recovery may be available for your case.

Step 5: Settling Your Case in a Timely Manner

If you want to settle your case in a timely manner, you should contact an experienced personal injury attorney. The personal injury lawyer will be able to discuss if you should settle your case outside of court or if it’s best to take it to trial.

The experienced personal injury lawyers of Dinizulu Law Group can assist you and help you find the financial relief that you need. Call our office today for a free consultation at (312) 384-1920.

Should I move a relative into a nursing home if they suffer from memory loss?

July 1, 2021/in Uncategorized/by DAMG

Chicago, IL—Memory loss is something many aging individuals experience. Some develop the condition naturally while others experience it after being diagnosed with dementia or some form of it. While memory loss might be a concern for you and your loved ones, it isn’t necessarily a sign that you should move your loved one into a nursing home right away.

The fact is, if an aging individual is still able to recall certain events or is aware of his/her behavior, then they might benefit from assistance, not around-the-clock supervision. However, if their memory loss puts them at risk of getting hurt, then it may be time to consider the options that are available.

If you believe your loved one is suffering from memory loss, you are encouraged to read on below to learn about the early signs of memory loss and when you should consider hiring help or moving your loved one into a long-term care facility.

Early Signs of Memory Loss

With age, many find that they become more forgetful or aren’t able to recollect specific details about something from the past. While this isn’t necessarily a sign that someone is experiencing memory loss, the following signs are¹:

Forgetting commonly used words.
Asking the same questions over and over.
Getting lost while out walking or when going out for a drive.
Misplacing items by putting them in odd places.
Mood swings or changes in behavior without a reason.
Taking a long time to complete familiar tasks.

When an individual begins to display any of the signs mentioned above, this could be a sign of dementia. Dementia is “a general term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life.”² According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s is “the most common cause of dementia.”

When to Consider Hiring Help or Moving a Loved one into a nursing home

For some families, hiring help or relocating a loved one to a long-term care facility is not an option as they would prefer to provide their relatives with the assistance they need. For others who are unable to devote the time needed to monitor and care for a loved one who suffers from memory loss, long-term care might be their only option.

If you have begun to notice any of these signs, this might be an indicator that your loved one needs around-the-clock care.

They need help with basic day-to-day tasks.
Your relative has wandered out of their home more than once.
Your relative experiences serious changes in mood that have you worried about their wellbeing while living alone.
Your relative no longer recognizes familiar faces, sometimes even yours.

When family members have begun to notice that their loved one struggles from memory loss, they should consider having them evaluated by a medical professional.

What are the risks associated with moving a relative with memory loss into a nursing home in Chicago?

Although nursing homes do serve as a place for aging individuals to go and live when they can no longer care for themselves, there is some risk associated with moving a relative into one. Individuals with dementia or Alzheimer’s are “at a greater risk of abuse,” and therefore, you need to be sure you research multiple homes before making your selection.³

The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has an online nursing home compare tool that allows you to look up nursing homes in your preferred area. Not only will the online tool identify homes that have been cited for abuse, but it will also provide detailed information about the most recent inspections that were conducted in a home.

Families are encouraged to use the online tool along with other resources to assist with the decision-making process.

Is there anything family members can do to prevent nursing home abuse?

While abuse can occur in any long-term care setting, there are some steps you can take to help reduce the chances of your aging loved becoming yet another victim. These include:

Take your time in choosing a nursing home. As previously mentioned, you should read reviews, visit homes, and conduct extensive research before settling on a nursing home for your loved one.
Visit them regularly. Once your loved one is moved into a facility, you should visit with your loved one on a regular basis. This way, you can look for any physical or emotional signs that something might be wrong.
Identify issues and report them. If you notice something isn’t right or the facility appears to be understaffed, bring this to the attention of an administrator.

In the event you ever encounter an issue or believe your loved one is a victim of nursing home abuse, don’t wait to contact Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. Our team of dedicated Chicago, IL nursing home abuse lawyers will be happy to sit down with you to determine what can be done to rectify the problem. If your loved one has been abused, you can rest assured that our Chicago nursing home abuse law firm will fight to protect their rights.

You can contact Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. at:

221 North La Salle Drive, Suite 1100

Chicago, IL 60601

Phone: 1-312-384-1920

Website: www.dinizululawgroup.com

X-Ray Technician Charged After Sexually Assaulting Nursing Home Resident

July 1, 2021/in Uncategorized/by DAMG

Sexual abuse is a commonly occurring issue in nursing homes but is often underreported. Because many sexual abuse victims suffer from memory loss, they are often unable to report what happened, allowing the perpetrator to either continue with the abuse or move onto their next victim.

According to statistics, older individuals who suffer from dementia are more susceptible to “abuse and approximately one in two older adults with [a] cognitive impairment experiences abuse.”¹

If your relative lives in a nursing home in Chicago, IL and you believe they are being sexually abused, the Chicago nursing home abuse attorneys at Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. are here to help you.

Caught in the Act

A 44-year-old x-ray technician is facing criminal charges after he was accused of sexually abusing an 81-year-old woman who was living in a nursing home run by a Catholic Church.²The woman was inside of her room with her nurse at the time the x-ray tech arrived and that is when he requested that the nurse leave the room while he performed his job.

While standing outside of the room, the nurse overheard the resident crying and when she went in to check on her, she says she saw the technician leaning over the woman and then quickly wiped his hands on the bedsheets. He then said, “I didn’t do anything on purpose.”

The nursing home resident had arrived at the facility in 2015 and was “still fairly sharp” at that time. Once she fell victim to Alzheimer’s disease, she began requiring ongoing care as she would begin wandering around and struggled to recognize familiar faces.

Grand Jury Charges X-Ray Tech for Endangering the Welfare of a Disabled Person

After the nurse walked in on the x-ray technician and the nursing home resident, she notified security who managed to apprehend him before he could leave. The tech was later charged with endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person, which could potentially land him in jail for four years, according to the news source. He was also charged with sexual abuse.

The source also shared that the x-ray tech was hired by a third-party contractor that had conducted a background check on the employee before he went to work in the nursing home.

Examples of Sexual Abuse Offenders in Nursing Homes

Nursing home residents come in contact with different people on a regular basis, all of which are potential candidates for being a sexual abuse perpetrators. Some of these people include:

Other residents. A nursing home resident with a history of abusive behavior who is left alone with another resident is one example of a potential nursing home abuse perpetrator.
Caregivers. Nursing home staffers including aides are also potential candidates for sexual abuse perpetrators. These individuals spend a substantial amount of time working around residents and are given multiple opportunities to take advantage of them.
Doctors. Physicians who are assigned to treat and care for nursing home residents can also be potential sexual abuse perpetrators.
X-ray technicians. As you can see from the incident cited above, x-ray techs also come in close contact with nursing home residents making them yet another potential sexual abuse offender.
Visitors. Visitors who are granted entry into a nursing home are expected to only visit their friend or loved one. Unfortunately, if a facility is understaffed or residents aren’t being carefully monitored, it opens up the opportunity for a visitor to take advantage of the person they are visiting or even another resident.

It’s very important that nursing home residents, particularly those that are bedbound or suffer from dementia, are constantly being monitored to reduce the chances of an incident occurring.

What should I do if I think my loved one was sexually abused in a nursing home?

If you suspect that your loved one has been sexually abused by a nursing home staffer or someone else in the facility, you should report the incident immediately so that an administrator or someone higher up can take action. If you’re worried about reporting your concerns to a staff member or you’re finding that they aren’t being addressed, a Chicago, IL nursing home abuse lawyer can certainly help.

In fact, anytime an incident occurs involving a nursing home resident, you are encouraged to contact Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. so that you can discuss it with one of our skilled Chicago nursing home abuse attorneys. We will help you protect your loved one’s rights and take the necessary steps to ensure the home and/or any staffers are recognized for their negligence.

If you would like to discuss an issue with one of our nursing home abuse lawyers now, contact us at 1-312-384-1920.

You can contact Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. at:

221 North La Salle Drive, Suite 1100

Chicago, IL 60601

Phone: 1-312-384-1920

Website: www.dinizululawgroup.com