Many Americans, including those from the Cook County, Illinois, area, know someone who has stayed at a nursing home. It is not uncommon for those who are ill, suffer a permanent injury or are elderly and unable to take care of themselves to stay at a nursing home for care. In fact, in 2014 alone, there were as many as 15,000 nursing homes in the United States with over 1.4 million residents.
When a family decides to move a loved one into a nursing home, there are reasonable expectations that the patient will be well cared for. This includes check-ups to make certain the resident is healthy, regular meals and personal care such as bathing and clean clothes and linens.
There are several types of long-term care options that could be considered that offer 24-hour care, assisted living, which helps with meals in general dining areas and provides various social activities for its residents, adult day care, which is an outpatient facility that provides basic health services and meals and possibly even home health care, which allows a nurse or medical professional to visit someone at their home and provide aid with basic necessities, such as bathing and meals.
Although a vast majority of facilities provide adequate care, there are situations when someone might be the victim of abuse or neglect. These may not be easy to recognize; things could be complicated if the victim is unable to properly communicate their issues with family, friends or even superiors at the facility.
If you believe a loved one may be a victim of nursing home abuse or nursing home neglect, the situation should be addressed immediately. If the unspeakable occurs and a loved one has died possibly due to abuse or neglect, the family of the victim may be entitled to compensation for the loss of their loved one.
