Tragic Consequences of Negligent Security in Nursing Homes 

 Posted on November 15, 2021 in Neglect

In addition to providing the health, nutrition, and daily schedule for nursing home residents, nursing home staff are also responsible for providing adequate security and supervision. Nursing home residents are particularly vulnerable to crime because their physical frailty and decreased mental faculties can make them such easy targets. 

Additionally, security and supervision are essential when nursing home residents with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia are at risk from wandering within or away from facilities. If nursing home residents do not take reasonable measures to prevent this behavior, residents can be injured, abused, lost, taken advantage of, or even killed. Proper security and supervision are intertwined in Illinois nursing homes, and the lack of one may signal the lack of the other. 

Lack of Appropriate Security in Preventing Crime

Nursing homes are responsible for ensuring they have adequate protocols to protect their residents and lawful guests. This means residents should anticipate potential criminal behavior from visitors, employees, and other residents. Whether certain measures are appropriate for a facility depends on the facility’s residents, location, and other factors. What is appropriate security for one nursing home may not be sufficient for another. 

At a minimum, nursing homes should have the following: 

• Thorough employee background checks 

• Sufficient staff-to-resident ratio

• Proper guest check-in measures

• 24-hour supervision of the facility’s front door

• Cameras recording the entrance and exit of guests and residents

• Alarm systems for windows or doors that are inappropriately opened

• Emergency preparedness plans in case of a fire, flood, and other disasters 

Lack of Appropriate Supervision for Wandering Patients 

Residential nursing home facilities have to manage a difficult boundary between making the facility feel like a comfortable home and ensuring that patients with dementia or other decreased mental faculties cannot wander away. In addition to providing the above measures for these patients’ security, nursing homes also frequently have enhanced supervision for dementia patients. Secure exits that cannot be opened without codes and other creative measures can keep residents safe without making them feel imprisoned in their own homes. 

Speak with a Cook County Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer

At Schwartz Injury Law, we have frequently seen the tragic consequences of nursing home neglect. That is why we advocate passionately on our clients’ behalf so our clients can get the justice they deserve and so accidents due to nursing home neglect become less frequent. If your loved one has suffered at the hands of insufficient security or supervision, contact an experienced Chicago, IL nursing home injury attorney today. We provide free, no-risk consultations. Call us today at 312-535-4625. 

Source:

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs5.asp?ActID=1225&ChapterID=21