Elder Law

Neglect Running Rampant in a Chicago Nursing Home

By Levin & Perconti

The Chicago nursing home lawyers at Levin & Percontihave handled all types of abuse and neglect cases against Alden nursing homes throughout Illinois for many years. Today's Chicago Tribune tells the story of at least thirteen children in the Chicago area who fell victim to abuse and neglect at Alden Village North, a nursing home located at 7464 N. Sheridan Road in Chicago.

The Tribune's article exposes the sad truth that abuse and neglect not only happens to the elderly living in Illinois nursing homes, but also to younger residents who require ongoing medical treatment that they cannot receive at home. Parents and family members place their trust with nursing home staff to care for their loved ones, but unfortunately neglect and abuse occur, often due to negligent hiring and short-staffing. One of the victims in the Tribune article was just two years old when he died of asphyixiation because staff at the facility failed to properly monitor his tracheotomy tube for over 3.5 hours. The child had a habit of playing with the tube but staff did nothing to prevent this behavior and did not notify his physician.

In another sad case, a nine-year-old boy who suffered from severe cognitive deficits died due to nursing home neglect. Staff failed to properly care for his g-tube, failed to notice a change in his condition and failed to communicate this change to his doctor. As a result he died from bowel obstruction and an infection at a local hospital.

The article brings to light the types of nursing home neglect that can happen when nursing homes fail to follow the standard of care when treating residents. When negligence occurs and a person is injured or killed, it is important that nursing homes are held accountable. Lawsuits send a message to nursing homes that substandard care will not be tolerated and oftentimes motivates facilities to change their policies in order to provide better care. If you believe that a loved one of any age was injured or died because a nursing home in Illinois violated the standard of care, our experienced nursing home attorneys may be able to help you seek justice.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on October 08, 2010 (boomark / email).