Abuse of Alzheimer’s Patients in Illinois Nursing Homes 

 Posted on November 02, 2021 in Nursing Home Abuse

Despite promising research in disease treatment and prevention, Alzheimer’s disease continues to be a major cause of illness and death in America. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, one in three seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another dementia, and dementia kills more people than breast and prostate cancer combined. 

It is perhaps no wonder that with such a serious disease present in such large numbers, seniors who suffer from Alzheimer’s face a higher likelihood of being abused or neglected in their nursing homes or residential care facilities. Because victims of Alzheimer’s are often confused or disconnected in their thinking, it can be very difficult to ascertain the nature or perpetrator of abuse, even when Alzheimer’s patient abuse is clearly taking place. 

Common Types of Abuse of Patients with Dementia

Individuals with loved ones in nursing homes must be aware of several common types of abuse that are directed at victims of Alzheimer’s disease so they can recognize symptoms and take action. Some of the most frequently seen abuses include: 

• Physical abuse - Physical abuse can manifest in many different ways, including in circumstances that may look like “accidents.” Nursing home staff must often help residents move out of bed, into wheelchairs, in and out of the bathroom, and around the facilities. Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish between injuries that occur as a result of a resident’s inability to move rather than deliberate abuse or neglect on the part of the staff. However, if nursing home staff refuse to discuss a resident’s injuries, that could be a sign that something is wrong. Physical abuse can also manifest as hitting, slapping, or pinching, and even sometimes as sexual abuse.

• Financial abuse - Staff who have access to residents’ checkbooks and wallets often have an easy opportunity to take money, make unauthorized purchases, and share financial information with outsiders who can steal money without implicating the staff member. Staff may also steal jewelry or other prized possessions to keep or sell. Sudden changes in bank accounts balances or spending habits may signal a wider problem. 

• Medical abuse - Nursing home staff will sometimes improperly allocate medicine, not give residents the medicine they need in an effort to save the nursing home money, or take residents’ medicine for themselves. Painkillers are the most commonly stolen drugs since they are easy to sell and abuse. 

Contact a Cook County Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Knowing your loved one is safe and secure in their nursing home is of utmost importance and when this is not the case, the consequences can be devastating. At Schwartz Injury Law, our priority is to remedy situations where nursing homes have abused or neglected residents and to give our clients peace of mind knowing that their loved one’s abuse has been addressed with justice and the appropriate compensation. If you fear your parents, siblings, or other loved ones are being abused in an Illinois nursing home, schedule a free consultation with a Chicago nursing home abuse attorney and find out how we can help you. Call our offices at 312-535-4625. 

Source:

https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/facts-figures