Envision this: You have gotten your loved one admitted to one of the top-rated Illinois nursing homes.
However, during one of your visits, you are met with a sad portrait of the nursing care scene — your elderly loved one has lost a great deal of weight, their clothes are soiled, and they are irritable because their hearing aid is missing.
Regrettably, nursing home neglect is more common than most people think. If overlooked, it can result in serious emotional and physical harm, not to mention the death of a vulnerable nursing home resident.
For that reason, protecting your loved one, and hopefully many other nursing home residents, necessitates reporting negligent or abusive nursing home staff. But the big question is, how do you report nursing home neglect?
Here’s what you should do to report nursing home negligence in Chicago:
Upon noticing the signs of nursing home abuse or neglect, you will probably want to seek justice for your loved one immediately. But first, ensure they are out of harm’s way.
In emergency situations, take your loved one to the nearest medical facility so that a professional can provide the proper medical care they need. Alternatively, call 911 or the nursing home hotline (800-252-4343); emergency responders will come to your rescue right away.
Then, if possible, move your loved one to another nursing home.
Once your elderly loved one is in a safe, comfy environment, the next step is to get in touch with a nursing home neglect law firm.
With an experienced lawyer on your team, you can now evaluate the situation before reporting the suspected elder abuse. Ideally, your attorney should help you find proof to confirm that, indeed, your loved one is a victim of elder mistreatment.
Collaborating with your nursing home neglect attorney to compile all potential evidence is an important step. Your lawyer will most likely ask the following questions:
It can also be helpful to work with a trusted member of the nursing home’s staff or your loved one’s care team:
There are various ways to go about this. And your nursing home neglect attorney can help determine which agencies need to be involved.
Get in touch with the proper authorities to report nursing home abuse or neglect. In this case, it’s the police or Adult Protective Services (APS) in Cook County.
Another way to report nursing home neglect is to reach out to the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program in Chicago via call ((888) 401-8200) or e-mail (ombudsman@legalaidchicago.org).
The local office of the Office of the Ombudsman usually works as an intermediary rather than emergency responders. Once you report the nursing home negligence, they will explain the rights of elderly residents, other options to get justice for your loved one, and the Ombudsman protocol for dealing with such complaints.
Supposing your loved one is a victim of Medicaid fraud, the Illinois State Police Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is your go-to option. It investigates long-term care nursing home complaints linked to Medicaid Fraud, even when more than financial exploitation is not involved.
At The Finn Law Firm, we have competent attorneys experienced in reporting or prosecuting nursing home neglect. As such, we can help you with the filing process, which typically entails the following:
We will compassionately guide you along the journey of helping your loved one recover from nursing home negligence.