If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an accident, it is important that you begin looking out for your best interests.

Physical Or Chemical Restraints in Nursing Homes

Physical restraints are generally not allowed in nursing homes anymore. Since the 1990s, policies of restraint reduction have been called for by the Illinois Department of Public Health. Nursing home staffs were trained to use physical restraints only with written orders of physicians or in emergency situations. Congress passed the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA-87), calling for reforms intended to improve the quality of care in nursing homes.

If you or a loved one has been subjected to physical restraints in a nursing home in violation of guidelines, you have a good reason to seek a lawyer’s advice. Kent M. Lucaccioni, Ltd., with law offices in Chicago and Elgin, welcomes your inquiry. Call or email our law offices to request a free initial consultation.

Chemical Restraints: Was Your Loved One Overmedicated Deliberately?

The Nursing Home Care Act enacted by the Illinois Assembly defines a chemical restraint as “any drug used for discipline or convenience and not required to treat medical symptoms.” Long-term care facilities may attempt to use unwarranted drug therapy to keep residents calm and under control.

If harm occurred to your loved one because he or she was given excessive or inappropriate psychoactive drugs in a care facility, discuss what happened with an attorney. Caregivers are not supposed to give medications without orders from physicians.

Has your loved one appeared drowsy, agitated, confused, sedated or lacking appetite? Inappropriate use of medications for the sake of restraining him or her may have been the cause. Fall injuries are sometimes a consequence of overmedication for the purpose of keeping control over a nursing home resident.

If Physical Or Chemical Restraints Resulted In Harm To Your Family Member In A Nursing Home, Contact One Of Our Chicago Lawyers

Was your family member abused or neglected through use of physical or chemical restraints in an Illinois long-term care facility? For a free consultation with an attorney at Kent M. Lucaccioni, Ltd., in Chicago or Elgin, call 877-930-2551 or send an email inquiry. We are ready to listen carefully and offer recommendations on the next steps.