Chicago Area Nursing Home Accused of Neglect

 Posted on April 16,2019 in Neglect

Nursing home abuse and neglect can happen anywhere. Nursing homes and other long-term care facilities across the country struggle with staffing issues, budgetary restraints, and keeping up with America’s quickly growing elderly population. Even though these issues exist, nursing home staff still have a legal and ethical obligation to treat residents with dignity and provide the medical care and daily living assistance they need. When nursing home staff do not uphold this obligation, the staff or facility itself can be held liable for any deaths, injuries, and illnesses caused by the poor care.

Waukegan Woman Says Her Sister Was Not Properly Cared For

Unfortunately, another Chicago-area nursing home is in hot water after allegations of neglect. A Waukegan woman says that her sister has experienced nursing home neglect after a brain aneurysm and stroke caused her to need around-the-clock care. The woman says that when she went to check on her disabled sister at the Waukegan nursing home in which she was living, the woman was shocked. The disabled woman’s feet looked extremely discolored and the skin was very dry and rough.

The sister of the disabled woman says that it was obvious that her sister had not received a bath or even a change of socks in a long time. “They just put socks on her and they left her be,” she said. The nursing home is now saying that they are aware of the issue and are working on a medical plan to treat the disabled woman’s disfigured feet. Her sister believes that the issue should have never gotten so bad without staff noticing, saying, “She needs to be treated like she’s a human being.”

Inspection Records Show a History of Neglect

The disabled woman’s sister is not the first person to complain about the inadequate care at this particular facility. Both the Illinois Department of Public Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have cited the facility for inadequate resident care including a 2018 citation for “personal hygiene care” issues. Another report claims that staff left a resident sitting up in a wheelchair for 10 hours straight which can cause terrible pain and pressure ulcers (bedsores). There are also accounts that the facility failed to report another allegation of neglect in a reasonably timely manner.

Contact a Cook County Personal Injury Attorney

If your loved one was neglected in a nursing home, contact the compassionate Chicago nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers at Schwartz Injury Law for help. Call 312-535-4625 for a free consultation today.

Sources:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bed-sores/symptoms-causes/syc-20355893

https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/04/10/waukegan-nursing-home-neglect/