Important Things to Know About Nursing Home Abuse:
All nursing home residents have certain rights, including the right to be free from abuse, mistreatment, and neglect. If those rights are violated, you or your loved one has a legal claim against the nursing home for damages.
You should know that abuse by a nursing home can take many forms, including the existence of pressure ulcers (also called bedsores or decubitus ulcers), falls and fractures (such as a broken hip or leg as the result of being transferred to/from bed/chair by improperly trained nursing home personnel), malnutrition and/or dehydration (as the result of improper planning, implementation and supervision of diet) and bed injuries (such as suffocation or strangulation caused by defective or improperly used side rails).
Know that the nursing home will not tell you that the injury sustained by your loved one was caused by the neglect of the nursing home. The nursing home may not even tell you how the injury happened.
You can expect the nursing home to tell your loved one’s injury was unavoidable and simply the result of advanced age, poor health or previous disabilities of the resident. You should not accept this explanation without a full and complete investigation of exactly how your loved one became injured.
Important Things To Do:
1) Call the Illinois Department of Public Health's Division of Long-Term Care Quality Assurance at 217-782-5180. This government agency has the authority to investigate acts of alleged abuse by the Nursing Home.
2) Discuss with your loved one’s physician the details regarding the injury, and most importantly, the likely cause of the injury.
3) Take pictures of your loved one’s visible injuries, including bed sores.
4) Make sure a written report of the incident is made, and obtain a copy.
5) Try to obtain a copy of the nursing home records. The nursing home records will be crucial in proving specific acts of negligence against the nursing home.
6) Retain an attorney immediately.
The Law Offices of Charles J. Gale are experienced in fighting nursing homes on behalf of abuse victims.
Your initial consulation with the Law Offices of Charles J. Gale is free and you will be under no obligation.
We will discuss your rights and provide you with a free and comprehensive evaluation of your personal injury case, explaining in detail the steps involved in prosecuting your personal injury claim. At no time will you be charged a fee unless we collect.
At the Law Offices of Charles J. Gale, your questions are welcome. No office visit is necessary. If you are disabled, we will visit you at your home or hospital.
Call the Law Offices of Charles J. Gale for your free consultation.