Elder abuse | Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd

Aging Pastor Neglected by His Nursing Home Caregivers

December 22, 2017/in Blog, Elder abuse, nursing home neglect, Uncategorized/by Yao Dinizulu

Robert, an aging pastor, who lived a life of service and put others first, was neglected by his care providers in an Illinois nursing home.

Robert was admitted into a nursing home with severe illnesses that required 24-hour care. Robert suffered from Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and dysphasia, among other medical conditions. Dysphasia causes one to have trouble swallowing food and therefore, the person must be monitored closely to ensure proper digestion. Failure to monitor this food intake can cause the person to choke or aspirate, meaning the food gets stuck in the throat or lung. Because of these risks, Robert should never be allowed to eat alone. What did the nursing home do to monitor these health concerns? Watch the video to learn more.

Just a few weeks after being admitted, a care giver at the nursing home noticed Robert was eating poorly and pocketing food. This is critical because since Robert was pocketing food, he could later eat that food while he wasn’t being watched and could suffocate as a result. The caregiver did absolutely nothing after noticing that Robert was pocketing food, like alerting the doctor or the head nurse.

After a few days, Robert was found to be lethargic with concealed food on him. He developed a cough and congestion, had labored breathing, and a fever. These symptoms worsened.

Finally, the nursing home sent Robert to a hospital. Only after going to the hospital was Robert diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia. You see, Robert had likely ingested the pocketed food that became lodged in his lung, causing the aspiration pneumonia. Aspiration pneumonia happens when substances, such as gastric contents, are inhaled into the lungs. This also creates a bacterial infection in the lung, leading to aspiration pneumonia.

Robert was a total-assist resident, meaning he needed to be fed, clothed, and changed. The nursing home ignored these responsibilities even though they fully understood Robert’s physical and mental limitations when they agreed to admit him into their facility.

Robert’s wife Michelle contacted the administrators at this nursing home to get them to properly care for Robert. They all made promises, yet the same pattern of unreasonable care continued.

I want all families like Michelle’s and all nursing home residents to know that nursing homes are accountable for the promises they make to you. There are remedies when nursing homes do wrong and cause you harm.

I know you may be watching this video because you probably have questions about your own loved one in a nursing home. Contact the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. at 1-312-384-1920 or 1-800-693-1LAW. We answer questions like yours every day.

Does Sexual Harassment Occur in Nursing Homes?

October 23, 2017/in Blog, Elder abuse/by Yao Dinizulu

There are more nursing home residents who are unable to speak, move, and defend themselves, and these individuals are more vunerable to mistreatment, neglect, and sexual abuse during their stay in a nursing home facility.

Illinois Has Been Recognized with the Most Cases of Nursing Home Abuse Incidents

September 27, 2017/in Blog, Elder abuse, nursing home neglect/by Yao Dinizulu

The issue of elder abuse and nursing home mistreatment and neglect is on the rise and is expected to continue to increase in the coming years. In a recent government audit, it was revealed that one in four cases of possible sexual and physical abuse against nursing home patients apparently went unreported to police” [Source: wqad.com]. Although Medicare is required by law to enforce a federal law that requires facilities to notify law enforcement of the abuse, 38 of the 134 cases investigated showed no contact with law enforcement was made as the hospital records indicated no such report in their records.

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.

Questions To Ask a Nursing Home Administrator

February 17, 2017/in Blog, nursing home neglect, Uncategorized/by Yao Dinizulu

Do you have a loved one that needs to reside in a nursing home? Our loved ones mean the world to us. We would do anything to make them happy including researching the best care for them. Ask staff and administrators the following questions when searching for a nursing home.

The first thing that you want to inquire about is her staff’s education. What kind of experience and education do they have? Is continuing education available to them on an ongoing basis? Are they up to date in new medical techniques and care giving techniques? The next thing that you’ll want to inquire about is what the caregiver-to-resident ratio is. You want your loved one to have interactions with the same set of caregivers each day because it promotes stronger bonds and ensures that the caregivers really get to know what your loved one needs and wants.

You’ll also want to inquire about how the staff is trained in handling special conditions. Do they have training and experience working with residents who may have Dementia or Alzheimer’s? Do they know the signs, and are the able to handle any obstacles?

Finally, you’ll want to ask about the care they offer. Is staff trained in infection prevention? How about preventing bedsores or ulcers? What about best hygiene practices? These are all things that should be included in the care plans for residents. They are also all important factors in determining what facility your loved one resides in. You don’t want them somewhere where the staff are inadequately trained. Watch the video to learn more.

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

The Top 5 Questions For Nursing Homes According To The CDC

February 17, 2017/in Blog, nursing home neglect/by Yao Dinizulu

The CDC or Center for Disease Control has a lot of guidelines on preventing infections. One set of guidelines involves the questions you should ask your nursing home about infection prevention. You want to become familiar with their protocols and how they handle that situation.

Let’s start with one point. Nursing homes are known for spreading infections. Many of the residents are elderly, and has such, may have a hard time caring for themselves. What is the nursing home staff doing to prevent infections from spreading?

You want to ask what their protocols are and how they are enacted. You want to ask about their time frame for protocols. The next question you’ll want to ask is about the staff. What are their credentials? How are they being trained, for what kinds of practices or conditions, and for how long? Do they receive continuing training and education?

What about flu shots? The flu can be devastating for the elderly and those in compromised health. Are staff and residents required to get flu shots? If so, how often? How does the nursing home handle hygiene? Do they use gloves and sanitize shared equipment regularly before using it with other patients?

Finally, you want to ask the staff how they handle infections. If an infection begins, are they going to notify you right away? How do they protect your loved one? You need to know the answers to these questions. Watch the video to learn more.

If you have questions about what you should ask the nursing home about infection prevention, policies, and procedures, please contact our nursing home abuse attorneys by email or call us at 1-312-384-1920 or 1-800-693-1LAW. Our experienced Chicago-based nursing home abuse lawyers are here for you. You may also find more educational videos and media content from the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. on our media page.