Nursing Home Abuse Attorney | 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.

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.

Who To Sue If You Suspect Nursing Home Abuse

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

If you have a loved one who is in a nursing home, then you expect that they will be provided with the best of care. What happens when someone abuses your loved one or neglects them? Who do you sue for nursing home abuse, and how do you do it?

Elder abuse unfortunately happens more often than we would like to think. In most cases, it is not the physician’s fault. Unless the physician is the one who specifically did the abuse, then they are not at fault. The doctor usually makes visits to the nursing home, but they do not work there full time. The director of nursing is in charge of all other medical concerns. This means that they oversee the nursing staff and medical procedures and guidelines that must be followed. The nursing home administrator handles all other departments and oversees day-to-day procedures. They are in charge of making sure that staff follows protocol, including how residents are treated.

Under Illinois state law, you can sue the corporation, the nursing home administrator, and the caregiver whose actions constituted the abuse. With constant turnover and ownership changes, it can be difficult to know exactly where to place the blame. An experienced nursing home abuse attorney can help you to determine this and to find the relevant information. Watch the video to learn more.

If you have questions about how to sue when you suspect nursing home 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.

Ex Nursing Home Employees Refused to Fabricate Medical Records to Hide Abuse

March 7, 2017/in Blog, Elder abuse/by Yao Dinizulu

Abusing nursing home residents is deplorable, and altering medical records to hide the effects of the negligence is downright immoral. That is what the staff at an Illinois nursing home has allegedly been doing, though, but two ex-employees refuse to let it continue.

The Illinois Nursing Home Care Act: Resident’s Rights When Faced with Nursing Home Abuse, Neglect, or Bad Care

March 3, 2017/in Blog, Elder abuse, nursing home neglect, Uncategorized/by Yao Dinizulu

The decision to place a loved one in a nursing home can be a difficult one. While we often have the best of intentions, caring for an elderly family member can be a strain on your family and moving an individual into a facility designed to care for the aging can be tremendously helpful. Not only do nursing homes have skilled staff on hand, but facility resources are also designed to help loved ones transition into their autumn years.

Unfortunately, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) provides data indicating that approximately one out of every 10 Americans over the age of 60 will experience some form of elder abuse. Many times, this is nursing home abuse comes at the hands of caregivers at a senior care facility. Nursing home neglect and abuse takes many forms, such as:

Physical Abuse
Sexual Abuse
Emotional Abuse
Confinement
Passive Neglect
Willful Deprivation of Medicine, Care or Food.
Financial Exploitation

The elderly who are experiencing nursing home abuse or neglect are at an increased risk of death at a rate of 300% more those who do not experience such cases of elder abuse. During a time when your loved one is supposed to be enjoying their golden years, the last thing you want is another’s misconduct causing harm to your loved one. What can you do to ensure nursing homes and elder care facilities are following the law and treating their patrons with the respect they deserve?

Nursing Home Abuse Takes Many Shapes

Under the Nursing Home Care Act, the state of Illinois ensures that nursing home patrons and their families have recourse if the unthinkable happens and the facility or one of their agents neglects or mistreats an individual. For example, every nursing home resident has a right to manage their own financial affairs. Additionally, residents must be allowed their own personal physician if requested, albeit at their own expense. In addition to the hard line rules, Illinois law also requires that caregivers treat residents with dignity, ensuring privacy and respect in treatment programs.

Although sometimes patients or residents may need restraints to prevent them from harming themselves, these restraints may never be used as punishment. The facility, however, may not use restraints without the informed consent of the resident or the resident’s guardian.

Sometimes physical neglect or abuse in a nursing home is obvious, but emotional trauma is less apparent, particularly when a resident suffers from an ailment that prevents them from effectively communicating.

Chicago Nursing Home Neglect Lawyers and Elder Abuse Attorneys Can Help You

It may appear that nursing home lawsuits resulting from the injury of a loved one are straightforward. Although the law does prohibit certain neglectful or abusive acts, administering justice remains complicated. A skilled nursing home lawyer will help you determine who to bring an action against and also what claims to assert.

The experienced Chicago nursing home abuse attorneys at Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. understand the complicated nature of bringing caretakers and nursing home facilities to justice in the unfortunate event of nursing home negligence and abuse. Let our nursing home abuse lawyers in Chicago help you. Please contact us today at 1-312-384-1920 or 1-800-693-1LAW.

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.

Law Intended to Protect Elderly Might Hurt Nursing Home Abuse Case

February 6, 2017/in Blog, Elder abuse/by Yao Dinizulu

NBC Chicago recently reported on a tragic case involving nursing home abuse and the law that might prevent the family of the deceased from attaining justice. The 88-year-old victim spent the last 10 months of his life in a nursing home and required around-the-clock care after suffering a stroke.

Laws That Every Nursing Home Must Follow

January 27, 2017/in Blog, nursing home neglect/by Yao Dinizulu

If you are a resident in a nursing home or you have a loved one who is a resident in a nursing home, then you need to be aware of the rights to which nursing home residents are entitled. There are a lot of rights that you receive as a nursing home resident for your protection. Let’s look at the most important five.

The first right is the right to respect. Staff should always respect you and your wishes. You should not be forced into anything. You should have control of your own schedule and control over what you choose to do with your day. If you aren’t getting this, then you need to file a complaint.

The next right is the right to freedom from nursing home abuse or neglect. If you are ever in a situation in which you feel physically, mentally, sexually, or verbally abused, speak up. It is your right. If you are not receiving adequate care, such as regular meals and hygiene practices, speak up.

The next right is the right to file a complaint. You should be able to tell the nursing home administration when you have a problem or complaint without being afraid of retaliation. You should never feel like you are unable to speak up because you fear adverse action will be taken.

The most important right that you have is the right to receive proper medical care. You should feel well taken care of in your nursing home. You should feel well-informed about any medical issues. You should not feel confused or out of the loop about what’s happening with your medical decisions at all. If you are residing in a home that is not respecting your rights, that’s a red flag, and you should speak to our experienced nursing home abuse lawyers in Chicago. Watch the video to learn more.

If you have questions about nursing home resident rights, 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.