If you have come to terms that now is the time that your elderly loved one receives their regular care from a home health care company or in a long-term care facility, you want to be sure you place them in the right hands. But, how do you know which company or facility is licensed and qualified to provide the care and treatment you want rendered to your loved one? The truth is, it takes time and patience as this shouldn’t be a rushed process.
With so many facilities being recognized for their ill behavior and employees who physically abuse residents, you don’t want your mom, dad, grandma, or grandpa placed in any place that could potentially cause them harm or in the hands of someone who is going to neglect them.
Therefore, our Chicago elder abuse attorneys are sharing with you some tips that might be able to help you when choosing a caregiver for your loved one.
- Check to ensure the home health company is properly licensed. You can check the downloadable database of licensed providers on the Illinois Department of Public Health website.
- Check to see if the home health agency is a member of the Illinois Home Care & Hospice According to the Chicago Tribune, this is “a private trade organization that represents about 160 companies that pay dues and agree to a code of ethics.” The phone number to reach this agency is 217-753-4422.
- If you come across an agency that isn’t willing to coordinate with your elderly relative’s primary physician, be leery of placing your loved one under their care.
- Visit the long-term care facility you are considering. Check for things like cleanliness, friendliness, and how the overall atmosphere feels when you go.
- You also have the option of discussing some red flags to look for when visiting nursing homes in Chicago with one of our nursing home abuse attorneys.
Should you have already chosen a company to provide your loved one with care and they make several visits but usually only conduct a blood pressure check, this company might be dishonest and are billing you or your loved one for several services that aren’t being rendered.
It is evident that elder abuse is occurring as WQAD reported that Illinois has been identified in the U.S. as having the most cases of nursing home abuse incidents. The source even claimed that “more than 1 in 4 cases of possible sexual and physical abuse against nursing home patients went unreported to police.” Because this misconduct is occurring, we want you to be cautious when choosing where you want to place your loved one or who you want to place them with to receive care.
In the event your loved one is currently living in a nursing home and you feel they are being mistreated, neglected, or abused, the Chicago nursing home abuse attorneys at Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. want to speak with you. By obtaining legal representation from one of our qualified and caring elder abuse lawyers, you increase your chances of understanding what is really happening and the forms of legal actions that can be taken against a nurse or facility. We invite you to contact our firm now by calling 1-312-384-1920.
