Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog

While Cynthia and Earl Wade look through a photo album, they remember their mother who was rushed to an emergency room less than 10 days into her stay at the International Nursing and Rehab Center. Their mother had explicit instructions on her medical chart not to administer dialysis through her left arm. However, the nurse ignored these explicit directions and inserted a needle into her left arm, sending her to the nursing home. Unfortunately, Luzella Wade could not recover from her injuries, and wrongfully died. Her attorney Steven Levin filed a lawsuit on behalf of the family in Cook County for the wrongful death of their mother. However, the story goes deeper, when the Chicago Reporter investigations revealed that this type of nursing home negligence occurs more in black nursing homes than those in white. In fact, Illinois has the highest number of poorly rated black nursing homes nationwide. Additionally nearly 85 percent of black nursing homes got the lowest rating for nurse staffing. To read more about the inadequacies in nursing homes, please read the Chicago Reporter.

Chicago personal injury lawyer Steve Levin of Levin & Perconti was featured in a Chicago Reporter article that highlights the differences in care received in black seniors’ homes when compared to white seniors. Attorney Levin is representing Cynthia and Earl Wade in their suit against International Nursing and Rehab Center. Since 2004, the nursing home has been sued 18 times in the Cook County Circuit Court. The article focuses on the difference in care that seniors receive in minority care centers than that given in predominately white nursing homes.

Westshire Nursing & Rehab Center in Cicero, Illinois has received a Type “A” Violation and a fine of $35,000 after inspectors found that the nursing home did not prevent pressure sores. Additionally, an inspector found that a resident had a diaper soiled with feces.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators. To access the violation website, please click the link.

Southview Manor in Chicago, Illinois has received a Type “A” Violation and a fine in the amount of $15,000 after inspectors found that the nursing home did not have a psychiatric rehabilitation program. Also, inspectors found that employees allowed residents to consume drugs or alcohol while taking psych medications.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators. To access the violation website, please click the link.

South Shore Nursing & Rehab Center in Chicago, Illinois has received a Type “A” Violation and a fine in the amount of $25,000 after inspectors believed that nursing home negligence had taken place. The nursing home neither failed to comprehensively asses a resident with a complaint of pain nor notified the physician in a timely manner of the medical change.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators. To access the violation website, please click the link.

South Shore Nursing & Rehab Center in Chicago, Illinois has received a Type “A” Violation and a fine in the amount of $25,000 after inspectors believed that nursing home negligence had taken place. The nursing home neither failed to comprehensively asses a resident with a complaint of pain nor notified the physician in a timely manner of the medical change.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators. To access the violation website, please click the link.

Phoenix Court in South Holland, Illinois has received a Type “A” Violation and a fine in the amount of $20,000 after the nursing home failed allowed a client to sustain a decubitus ulcer. The nursing home was also cited for failing to develop written plans for residents as part of a total habilitation plan.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators. To access the violation website, please click the link.

Chicago nursing home abuse lawyers Steven Levin and Margaret Battersby of Levin & Perconti field a nursing home negligence lawsuit in Dupage County on behalf of Robert Gryncewicz for the personal injuries his mother sustained while under the care of the Arbor of Itasca nursing home in Itasca, Illinois. The injuries contributed to the mother’s death. She was admitted to Arbor of Itasca on October 7, 2004 after suffering a stroke that left her with decreased mobility. When she was admitted to the nursing home she was assessed as requiring supervision and assistance with activities of daily living, bed mobility and transferring to prevent falls and accidents. She first fell when she was improperly transferred from her bed to her wheelchair. The fall resulted in a fractured knee that was treated at a local hospital. Several weeks later, she fell out of her wheelchair in the hall of her nursing home. This incident required yet another hospitalization and aggravated the previous injury. After the falls, her elderly negligence lawsuitcondition rapidly deteriorated. The mother developed serious pressure ulcers on her hell and sacrum. She was never able to fully recover from these injuries and passed away on August 4, 2008. Robert believes that the nursing home negligence caused his mother’s death. The alleges that the Arbor of Itasca was negligent on several levels. The complaint alleges that the nursing home failed to appropriately asses the woman’s risk for falls and accidents and failed to prevent falls and accidents from occurring. If you or a loved one has experienced elderly abuse, please find an Illinois nursing home neglect lawyer.

Somerset Place in Chicago, Illinois has received a Type “A” Violation and a fine in the amount of $25,000. The nursing home has been cited for failure to apprise their residents of rights and a failure to report allegations of elderly mistreatment or elderly abuse.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators. To access the violation website, please click the link.

Fox River Pavilion has received a Type “A” Violation relating to the area of nursing home negligence was fined $5,000. This violation was based on the home’s lack of employee oversight and inability to implement a proper smoking plan.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators. To access the violation website, please click the link.

Illinois public health officials plan to try to close an Oak Lawn, Illinois nursing home despite the fact that the Regal Health and Rehab Center is now complying with state regulators. Inspectors from the Illinois Department of Public Health conducted their annual inspections of the nursing home in February and found it in violation of several regulations, including deficiencies in medical equipment, personnel and supervision of residents. While the health department gave the Regal permission to remain open, the state remains concerned about the quality of care for the 83 current residents. Recently a resident hooked up to an oxygen machine was able to sneak a cigarette into his room, causing a small fire. The man died a week later. Earlier this month, Oak Lawn inspectors found elderly negligence including dirty water fountains and appliances, water-damaged ceilings and rodent droppings on the floors at Regal. Additionally, the inspection revealed that employees were smoking inside the building and were washing their hands in the same sinks that contained food. Regal is owned by Michael Lerner, who also owns Forest Hill Health & Rehab Center. Currently Levin & Perconti has filed several nursing home negligence cases against Michael Lerner. To read more about the Oak Lawn nursing home negligence, please click the link.

Chicago personal injury attorneys Michael Bonamarte and John Perconti of Levin & Perconti filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Sacred Heart Home in Chicago. The complaint was filed on behalf of the victim’s mother in the Circuit Court of Cook County for the severe injuries her mother sustained while under Sacred Heart’s care. These injuries lead to her death eight months after her accident at the nursing home. The victim had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. On December 21 of 2007 she left her second floor room and exited the hallway through an unalarmed stairwell door at the nursing home. She was found in the first floor stairwell having suffered serious injuries including a broken back, significant head injuries and paralysis. She died approximately eight months later at the age of 61. After her mother’s death, a complaint was filed with the Illinois Department of Public Health who investigated the victim’s case. The IDPH cited the nursing home for Type A violations for failing to appropriately monitor and supervise the victim. Sacred Heart Home had previously been cited for failing to properly supervise residents. The complaint alleges that the nursing home staff failed to develop and implement a proper care plan based on the victim’s medical conditions. Attorney Michael Bonamarte believes that if the proper precautions were put into place, her accident and subsequent death could have been avoided. If you suspect nursing home negligence, find an Illinois nursing home lawyer.

Chicago nursing home lawyers Levin & Perconti have filed a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of a Harvard, Illinois woman who alleges that the nursing home failed to prevent a fall that led to her mother’s death. The woman is suing Sacred Heart Home in Chicago after her mother died after suffering from a broken back, head injuries and paralysis after she allegedly fell in a stairwell at the home. The 61 year old died eight months later. The case alleges that staff should have better supervised the victim because they knew she had been diagnosed with both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The wrongful death lawsuit is seeking damages in excess of $50,000, although Levin & Perconti attorney Mike Bonamarte states that they would be seeking an amount much greater than that. To read more about the Chicago nursing home lawsuit, please click the link.

Clearbrook East has received a Type “A” Violation and a fine assessment of $15,000 for failing to protect their clients. The nursing home must also develop and implement written policies and procedures that prohibit mistreatment, abuse and neglect of their clients.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators. To access the violation website, please click the link.

Alden Village North has received a Type “A” Violation for allowing tube fed clients to eat in their bedrooms. They also received violations for personnel policies.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators. To access the violation website, please click the link.

The family of a 95-year-old Illinois woman recently filed a nursing home negligence lawsuit, alleging that she fell on multiple occasions as a result of the nursing home negligence at her facility. The woman suffered multiple hip fractures after she was not properly monitored and supervised on at lest three occasions, despite having Alzheimer’s and dementia. This put her at a high risk for falling. The Illinois woman resided at the facility for a little over a month, yet suffered at least three falls that left her with serious and debilitating injuries. The complaint alleges the staff allowed the woman to walk in the hallways unattended in the middle of the night, despite their knowledge of her confusion. This lack of care allowed the woman to fall and suffer a hip fracture. Later, the nursing home staff left her unattended in her wheelchair, and she fell once again. The Illinois woman fractured her other hip when the nursing home staff left her in her wheelchair with the alarm turned off. The nursing home negligence lawsuit has been filed in Madison County Circuit Court in Illinois. To read more about the hip fracture, please click the link.

The Civic Action Network is holding a community meeting for nursing home justice. The meeting will take place on Monday June 8, 2009 at the Bray Temple CME Church located at 1049 E. 73rd Street in Chicago, Illinois. The meeting will take place from 6:30-8:00 PM. The goal of this meeting is to address the growing disparities amongst the Alden Network nursing homes in Chicago. The Alden’s three homes on the South Side of Chicago provide half the staff time per nursing home resident as the nursing homes in the suburbs do. Additionally the nursing homes have faced elderly negligence lawsuits over 30 times for issues like medical malpractice. The recent wrongful death of an 84-year-old man in Chicago has prompted community organizers to discuss how this problem might be remedied. To learn more about the racial disparities in Chicago nursing homes, please visit the civic action network’s website.

The wrongful death of an 85-year-old Chicago nursing home resident launched an investigation by The Chicago Reporter to determine the qualities of nursing homes throughout Illinois. The investigation found that the specific South Side nursing home has the worst rating that any home can receive and that residents get less than half the time each day with staff than residents at a predominately white facility in Evanston which is operated by the same owner. If this nursing home negligence lawsuit is filed, it will be the 14th in Cook County court against the Alden nursing homes between 2004 and 2009. That’s more than three times the elderly neglect lawsuits than half of the city’s 91 nursing homes, with the median number being four. Schlossberg has ownership in 30 homes in Illinois. An analysis of those homes revealed that there were racial disparities in the care that that residents received. Each of the three predominately black facilities received the lowest possible nursing home rating. The two facilities with the highest ratings had 84 percent white residents. Residents at the predominately black homes received much less staff time than residents of the white facilities. For example residents at the Evanston location received 5.53 hours of care per day, while the Harvey facility received 1.73 hours per day. The investigation also found that the disparities between black and white homes were even greater where at least 75 percent of care was paid by Medicaid. The idea that race plays a role a facility’s quality of care is greatly disturbing fact recovered by this investigation.

To read more about the disparities in nursing homes, please click the link.

For a map of the Schlossberg nursing homes in the Chicago land area, please click the link.

A woman is claiming she received injuries after a Cahokia, Illinois nursing home failed to provide adequate care. The woman filed the nursing home negligence lawsuit in St. Clair County Circuit Court. The elderly negligence lawsuit alleges that employees at the center failed to care for her as they should have by failing to develop an individualized comprehensive care plan to ensure that she was kept clean to prevent infection in the skin of her abdominal folds. Additionally, they failed to develop a comprehensive care plan for her to address her medical, nursing, mental and psychosocial needs. As a result of this negligence, the woman was injured and is seeking a judgment in excess of $50,000. It is important that nursing homes develop comprehensive plans for each individual resident in order to avoid nursing home negligence. To read more about the elderly lawsuit, please click the link.

When a nursing home resident’s minor injury is left untreated and thus progresses to something major that will inevitably kill her, the nursing home should be fined. This is equally true when one resident beats another in a nursing home cafeteria because there’s no staff member there to stop it. These are all problems that lead to nursing home negligence and wrongful death. The only way for a nursing home to be punished is to be fined, but an Illinois ruling ties the hands of the Department of Public Health on how much can be fined. Currently Illinois caps the violations at $10,000 a pop. The solution to this problem is simple, have the legislature permit higher fines for egregious elderly abuse and negligence. Illinois must allow for higher fines in order to remedy these ongoing problems. To read more about Illinois fines, please click the link.

An Illinois judge handed down a ruling that said the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) illegally increased fines against nursing homes. The IDPH may no longer fine a nursing home more than $10,000. This comes as a blow to many nursing home advocates who fear that lowering fines will cause an increase in poor quality care. With smaller fines, Illinois nursing homes will have less incentive to provide quality care. Larger fines motivate nursing homes to avoid punishment by delivering appropriate care to their residents. It is most likely that the IDPH will appeal this decision. According to the IDPH acting director, “We have been fining what we feel is appropriate for what we find." To read the full story about this devastating ruling about Illinois nursing homes, follow the link.

The family of a 69-year-old woman has filed a nursing home negligence lawsuit against an Illinois nursing home for failing to protect her from being sexually assaulted by a 21-year-old mentally ill resident. The Elgin facility tried to cover up a brutal rape by calling it consensual sex. This is an example of how mixing frail elderly residents and younger mentally ill tenants in nursing homes can lead to violence if facilities do not monitor potentially dangerous residents. The 21-year-old was missing at bed check, but “no search was made or alarm sounded to alert residents and staff that a young, aggressive, sexual frustrated, convicted felon was prowling the halls oft he nursing home,” the suit alleges. A night shift nurse heard an elderly woman moaning and entered her room. She then found the woman in her bathroom and was trying to call 9-1-1 to report someone attacking the woman. The suit was filed in Cook Count Circuit court and seeks at least $50,000 in damages. The man has pled not guilty to aggravated sexual assault. To read more about the Chicago nursing home abuse , please click the link.

Two sisters are on trial, charged with criminal abuse or neglect of an elderly person, after their mother was found dead in their care. Prosecutors in Kane County, Illinois believe that malnourishment, dehydration and the bed sores on the woman’s body were contributing factors in the elderly woman’s death. The medical examiner outlined the damage to the woman’s body at the time of her death, indicating she had 9 bed sores on her back, a curved spine and cancer. The victim had a 4-inch bed sore on her back that was so severe that it provided a direct way for infections to move into her bone marrow. A patient-care technician testified that when the woman was brought into the hospital her clothes were wet with urine. She also had fecal matter on her legs and ants on her clothing. To read more about the elderly abuse, please click the link.

A 49-year-old Illinois woman was charged with felony theft and 20 counts of felony forgery after she admitted to writing 20 checks from the account of an 86-year-old woman she was caring for. Prosecutors say that the elderly woman was financially exploited out of $740. When police arrested the woman she told officers she felt bad about writing the checks and meant to tell the family, but didn’t have time. If you believe you are a victim of elderly financial abuse, find an Illinois lawyer. To read more about the elderly financial abuse, please click the link.

A Brown University Study shows that more than 74,000 nursing home residents have bed sores in five states with high Mexican-American populations. This study mirrors conditions in Chicago, Illinois long-term care facilities. The report concluded that residents in nursing homes with overwhelmingly Latino patient populations are more likely to suffer from bed sores than those in nursing homes with mostly while patients. Experts say that there is a very limited methodology available to understand the course of life for Latinos in the U.S. and the stress that causes high mortality rates in an older Latino population. Chicago’s Latinos tend to be quite young, thus senior care is not the foremost health concern in the community. The large number of illegal Latino immigrants creates problems when many facilities are paid by Medicare. Governor Pat Quinn stated that he will commit $1.7 billion to help repay the state’s $2 billion in overdue Medicaid bills to health care providers. To read more about the nursing home study and it’s relation to Chicago, please click the link.

An Orland Park, Illinois nursing home has been sued for nursing home negligence after a resident with dementia was discovered lying on train tracks. The woman was suffering from cold exposure eight hours after wandering off during a group field trip to a local high school. The nursing home negligence lawsuit was filed in the Cook County Circuit Court against Sunrise Senior Living Services, the Brighton Gardens Assisted Living of Orland Park and the home’s Activity Director Debra Ann Adler following the incident that left a disabled woman with visible injuries. The nursing home negligence lawsuit claims that the woman suffered from various psychological and physical conditions, severe dementia and Alzheimer’s disease and required full-time supervision by staff. After the group arrived at the high school, the elderly woman wandered away unnoticed and was found approximately eight hours later one mile away, lying on train tracks with visible injuries she had suffered from falling down and being exposed to cold temperatures. The lawsuit alleges that the nursing home failed to properly monitor the elderly woman and failed to assess her risk of wandering off. To read more about the nursing home negligence lawsuit, please click the link.

A Lake County man who is oftentimes running for politics is facing charges that he swindled nearly $200,000 from his ailing mother. The man turned himself into Lake County, Illinois authorities on a warrant for theft over $100,000 and unlawful financial exploitation of the elderly. Both are Class 1 felonies. He is accused of taking $190,000 from his mother when he was supposed to be responsible for her expenses. The man was put in charge of her expenses after she became ill and other family members notified authorities that he may be misusing the funds for different purposes. Financial exploitation of the elderly is all too commonplace. To read more about the elderly abuse, please click the link.

Images of filth were the first things testified to at an elderly neglect trial. A paramedic described the cluttered home where ants crawled along the foot of an ailing 84-year-old woman’s bed. He immediately knew something wasn’t right. He testified that he found a cluttered home with a “distinct” smell of urine and feces. There was also testimony as to “an overall layer of filth” and unwashed dishes on the kitchen counter. The elderly woman appeared to be dehydrated and “emaciated” estimating her weight to be around 75 pounds. He also noticed fecal matter under her fingernails and urine soaked clothing. The man is mandated by law to report suspicions of elder abuse and thus told authorities that his 84-year-old patient could be a victim of elder neglect. The home was in Geneva, Illinois. The two sisters who were to take care of their ailing mother have pled not guilty to charges of criminal neglect of an elderly person. To read more about the elderly neglect, please click the link.

Attorneys Steven Levin and Margaret Battersby of Levin & Perconti have filed a lawsuit against Alden Poplar Creek Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Hoffman Estates. Levin & Perconti filed the lawsuit on behalf of Warren Osborn for the wrongful death of his 94-year-old mother, Mildred Osborn, who was a resident at the nursing home.

When admitted, Mildred was assessed at being as high risk for falls and accidents which required her to have supervision and assistance with activities of daily living. Attorney Steven Levin noted that, “Mildred could not get around independently; she had difficulty walking and needed assistance moving from her bed to wheelchair. She relied on the staff at Alden to help her with almost everything.” After an initial fall, the nursing home developed a plan so that she would not suffer anymore falls. However, she two more times and required hospitalization. Doctors diagnosed her with a laceration above her left eye, a hip fracture and a subarachnoid hemmorage, or bleeding around the brain. She passed away four days later an her autopsy listed her cause of death as being attributed to the injuries she sustained at Alden Poplar Creek.

“Falls can have devastating effects on older people, leading to serious injury or death,” said Steve Levin. “In Mildred’s case, the nursing home knew she was at risk for falls and allowed her to fall on several occasions. Even after these falls, they neglected to implement new precautions to prevent her from falling again, and failed to consistently implement the fall precautions that were already required. Mildred’s death could have been prevented if Alden had only taken the proper steps to ensure her safety.”

Illinois ranks the highest among the states in the number of mentally ill adults under the age of 65 living in nursing homes. Last year, over 12,000 mentally ill individuals lived in nursing homes in Illinois. The high number is due to the seven state-run mental hospitals that have been closed since 1980. The state needs 6,279 beds to meet minimum treatment standards and not be prone to Illinois nursing home neglect.

To read more about the Illinois nursing home situation.

Over the past several years, nursing homes have seen an increase in young and middle-age people with mental illness. This increase in mentally ill patients has also increased the amount of elderly violence in nursing homes. One such incident at All Faith Pavilion in Chicago's South Side involved Ivory Jackson, a 77-year-old man with Alzheimer’s who was smashed in the face with a clock radio as he lay in his bed. The man who killed Mr. Jackson was a mentally ill man thirty years his younger.

What has occurred is that younger, stronger residents with schizophrenia, depression or bipolar disorder are now living beside frail elderly residents and they have been taking their rage out on them. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services show that nearly 125,000 young and middle-aged adults are living with serious mental illnesses in U.S. nursing homes, which is a 41 percent increase from 2002. There are several forces behind the trend including the closing of state mental institutions and a shortage of hospital psychiatric beds. Due to these great increases in numbers, numerous incidents have occurred. Gaps in the employee staff training leave the nursing homes inept at handling the delusions and aggression of the mentally ill, which makes it difficult on the elderly residents.

The attorneys at Levin & Perconti have worked on a number of cases involving sexual or physical abuse of nursing home residents. W are currently involved in a similar case against East Peoria Gardens in East Peoria, IL. Our attorneys represent the family of a woman who fell at the home as a result of improper supervision and died a week later from her injuries. The case alleges that as a result of the owners’ decision to mix an elderly population with younger mentally ill resident, a situation was created where the elderly residents and the staff were in fear for their own safety. To read more about this nursing home lawsuit, follow the link.

To read more about the increase in elderly physical abuse, please click here.

A McHenry, Illinois woman alleges that poor care at a Lake Zurich nursing home led to her mother’s shattered hip. Due to this elderly negligence, Levin & Perconti has filed a lawsuit against the facility. The nursing home negligence lawsuit was filed in Cook County Circuit Court against the Lexington Health Care Center of Lake Zurich, on behalf of Edna Kneidek who was 83. “We hope that our case will bring about changes at Lexington so that other residents don’t suffer like my mother did,” said Lisa. “We visited often, but there are so many residents who do not have family nearby to speak up for them. We do not want anyone else to go through what my mother went through.” The daughter alleges that her mother fell five times during 2007 while undergoing care at the nursing home despite staff member’s knowledge that she was at risk for falling. A fall in August of 2007 prompted the lawsuit when the woman allegedly fell and then complained to staff members of severe hip pain. However, staff members allegedly did not transfer her to a hospital for another five days. X-rays showed that the woman had shattered her left hip and realized she also had pneumonia. To read more about the nursing home negligence, please click the link

A Lake Zurich, Illinois nursing home has been accused of negligence in a Levin & Perconti filed nursing home negligence suit. The suit was filed in Cook County Circuit Court. The elderly negligence suit was filed against Lexington Health Care Center of Lake Zurich on behalf of Edna Kneided, an 83-year-old woman, after she suffered a hip fracture at the nursing home. The fracture has left her permanently immobile. Attorney Steven Levin of Chicago, Kneidek was admitted to Lexington Health Care after living in an assisted lving facility. Levin points out that when the woman was admitted, she was assessed as being at-risk for falls. Despite this assessment, the nursing home allowed her to fall five times from February through August of 2007. One fall resulted in her being transferred to the hospital for X-ways for five days, which revealed her left hip was shattered. The woman was also diagnosed with pneumonia. Edna had to have extensive surgery in order to repair her hip. "Edna's family trusted Lexington to care for her, but the home was negligent on a number of levels," Levin said. "The nursing home failed to properly assess Edna's risk for falls or protect her from falling. After allowing her to fall, the home did not respond to her complaints of pain or transfer her to the hospital in a timely fashion." To read more about the nursing home negligence, please click here.

A police investigation into the death of a 90-year-old man has not turned up evidence supporting a ruling that the Cook County medical examiner’s office that he was a victim of elder abuse. The paramedics took the man from his home after a neighbor reported finding him duct-taped to a living room chair. The elderly man wrongfully died in an area hospital.

The medical examiner’s office last week ruled the case a homicide and died of dehydration and elder abuse. The man told his family he wanted to die at home, so they did everything they could to make sure he didn’t go back to a hospital. The Will County state’s attorney’s office said the elderly abuse case is still under investigation.

To read more about the elder abuse, please click here.

A 90-year-old Steger, Illinois man was allegedly found duct-taped taped to his living room chair. The man had wrongfuly died from dehydration and elder abuse. The police chief was alerted to the case after paramedics transported the senior to the local hospital. The police chief believes that elder abuse over the weekend caused his death. The medical office ruled the elderly man’s death a homicide. Police also retried a dog leash from the home that had been used to bind the man’s legs. To read more about the wrongful death, please click the link.

Attorney Steven Levin of Levin & Perconti filed a nursing home negligence case in Cook County against Lexington Health Care Center of Lake Zurich in Lake Zurich, IL. The complaint was filed on behalf of Edna Kneidek for the injuries she suffered while she was a resident at the nursing home. The victim is now permanently immobile after she suffered a hip fracture at the nursing home. When Edna was admitted to Lexington, she was assessed as being at-risk for falls. Despite her known risk for falls, the nursing home allowed her to fall five times from February through August 2007. On August 7, Ms. Kneidek suffered a fall and later complained to the nursing home staff of severe hip pain. Over the next few days, her pain continued. However, the nursing home did not address this pain or transfer her to the hospital for x-rays for five days. When she finally entered the hospital on August 12, an x-ray revealed that her left hip was shattered and she was also diagnosed with pneumonia. Attorney Steven Levin stated that, “The nursing home failed to properly assess Edna’s risk for falls or protect her from falling. After allowing her to fall, the home did not respond to her complaints of pain or transfer her to the hospital in a timely fashion.” “We hope that our case will bring about changes at Lexington so that other residents don’t suffer like my mother did,” said Lisa. “We visited often, but there are so many residents who do not have family nearby to speak up for them. We do not want anyone else to go through what my mother went through.”

Advocates for nursing home residents hope that they will be able to stop the progress of a bill in the Illinois General Assembly which is designed to allow state regulators to refund fines paid by nursing homes planning to use the money to improve care. The bill, Senate Bill 321, would return money after a nursing home may have been cited for elderly abuse or neglect. Director of Chicago-based Illinois Citizens for Better Care, Wendy Meltzer, stated that this bill would be really bad public policy because it essentially eliminates the financial disincentive for bad behavior. Although the bill’s sponsor believes that the bill is a way of ensuring that problems at nursing homes get fixed, money could be returned even in the cases of elderly rape or wrongful death. The bill highlights the idea that Illinois has become too focused on fines against nursing homes instead of good care. Meltzer pointed out that nursing homes shouldn’t need refunds as an incentive to provide the kind of care that is required by Illinois state law. Last year the bill’s sponsor received $15,000 in campaign contributions from the nursing home industry. To read more about Senate Bill 321, please click the link.

A woman was sentenced to two years in prison for abusing a 60-year-old woman in her care last year outside the woman’s home. The Cook County judge sentenced the former live-in caregiver as part of an agreement in which she pled guilty to events in the victim’s back yard in Inverness, Illinois. Neighbors reported seeing the woman hosing down the naked victim as she sat in a lawn chair. They also saw the woman strike the victim in the face with the hose’s metal nozzle and attempt to hit her with a mop. Police arrived and the woman refused to let him in the house. The police noticed old bruises on the elderly woman’s body and red marks on her face. The woman did admit that she had hosed the woman off, but denied striking her face. The woman was sentenced to two years in jail for elderly abuse. To read more about the Illinois abuse, click here.

A court has ordered the inspection of an Illinois nursing home that allowed a resident to wander out into the cold and die in January. The inspection comes in connection with the wrongful death lawsuit that has been filed on behalf of 89-year-old Sarah Wentworth. Relatives are alleging elderly neglect and abuse against the nursing home that the woman had lived for almost three years. While prosecutors continue their investigation into the Itasca, Illinois nursing home, the woman’s family is conducting their own investigation. It appears that after the woman froze to death, nursing home employees tried to hide the real circumstances surrounding her death. Nursing home workers had told authorities that the 89-year-old woman, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, wandered outside on her own. However, the woman’s family is questioning how an elderly woman who used a walker, ended up without outside without help. Additionally, there is evidence that a 23-year-old female worker watching television ignored the security alarm triggered by the woman’s electronic ankle bracelet. This Illinois elderly abuse case highlights the importance of ensuring that nursing home residents are not able to wander. It is the duty of the nursing home staff to ensure that all residents are properly accounted for. To read more about the wandering death, click here.

Criminal charges are expected in the case of a nursing home resident who was found frozen to death outside. Authorities now believe that that woman may have been the victim of elderly neglect and a cover-up. The three daughters of the woman have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Illinois nursing home. Authorities believe that four women who work at the facility made the woman appear as though she had died in her sleep. The medical examiner’s report revealed that hypothermia was part of the reason for her death. It appears that the woman did signal an alarm, but a nursing home employee negligently ignored it because she was watching television. This nursing home negligence case is outrageous, and the DuPage state’s attorney’s office must investigate. To read more about the elderly negligence cover-up, click the link.

An employee at an Illinois nursing home was too absorbed by an episode of “Dog the Bounty Hunter” to respond to a security door alarm sound. The alarm was most likely triggered by the electronic bracelet worn by an 89-year-old resident who wandered outside the nursing home. The woman wrongfully died of exposure to the cold. Law enforcement believes that after the employees found the elderly woman in the subfreezing cold, they allegedly tried to cover up the tragedy by returning the deceased woman to her bed. The former Chicago woman, who suffered from dementia and other health problems, was a resident at the nursing home for nearly three years. At the moment, the nursing home is facing both criminal and civil charges after they originally told officers that the elderly woman died while asleep in her bed. Authorities became suspicious because the woman was dressed in a hospital gown and covered in blankets and lying on a gurney while hooked up to an oxygen machine. To read more about the wrongful nursing home death, please click the link.

Chicago person injury attorneys Steven Levin and Margaret Battersby of Levin & Perconti have filed a nursing home abuse and neglect complaint in Cook County Circuit Court against Lemont Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Lemont IL and Care Centers, Inc. The lawsuit was brought on behalf of James Nelson of Palos Heights for the wrongful death of his mother Loretta, in October of 2008. His mother died at the age of 87, two months after falling and fracturing her hip at the nursing home. Loretta was a resident at Lemont Nursing & Rehabilitation Center for seven years prior to her death. The family was initially pleased with the care that her mother was receiving but noticed changes once the new owners took over. They even hired someone to go to the home to feed her lunch and dinner when we couldn’t be there to make sure she was fed and hydrated. Then in 2008 their mother suffered a fall from her bed that resulted in a bruised left thigh. After this fall, the nursing home instituted a new care plan that called for the use of a low bed, a bed alarm system and floor mats on the sides next to her bed. One month later the nursing home staff found her lying on the floor next to her bed. Once again the woman had fallen out of her bed and fractured her hip. The Illinois Department of Public Health then cited the facility after this fall because investigators could not find any documentation that the new precautions were in place when she fell for the second time. After the second fall, the mother was taken to the hospital and released back to the nursing home. At this time her care worsened and she developed several pressure sores while at the home and became malnourished and dehydrated. She then died. Attorney Steven Levin was outraged when he heard this story saying, “As a resident for seven years, the nursing home and its staff were familiar with Loretta’s risk for falls. After her first fall, they failed to implement precautions to prevent further falls and Loretta soon fell again, unfortunately, hip fractures are extremely serious for the elderly, and she was never able to recover from this fall. Had the nursing home taken the proper steps, Loretta’s fatal injury may have been prevented.”

A woman who was too frail to get out of bed or change her clothes without assistance ended up leaving her Itasca nursing home last week and freezing to death in the courtyard. The family has now filed a lawsuit alleging elderly neglect and abuse on the part of The Arbor of Itasca, the nursing home where the woman had lived for more than two years. The major question is how the woman who had been suffering from symptoms of dementia could have wandered from her room and the building without staff members noticing. The woman was found dressed only in a hospital gown after being outside for at least 90 minutes, still wearing the exact ankle bracelet that should have triggered the alarm keeping her inside the home. Although the daughters of the woman say that they had never been concerned about the safety of their mother at the nursing home, public records show that the Illinois Department of Public Health had conducted 12 separate investigations in response to complaints. To read more about the pending nursing home lawsuit, click the link.

The family of a nursing home resident who froze to death outside is looking for answers. While the police are currently investigating the death, her family is outraged. Her daughter states that her mother’s greatest fear was to be alone and cold, which is the way she wrongfully died. The woman had been living at the Illinois nursing home for two years and had been suffering from dementia for more than a decade. The police have determined that elderly neglect contributed to the woman’s death. The focus of the investigation is centered on how an 89-year-old woman, wearing an ankle monitor, got through two doors with alarms in the middle of the night. The wandering woman then froze to death in the nursing home’s courtyard without being spotted. The Illinois Department of Public Health website shows that The Arbor of Itasca nursing home had more than 14 complaints filed against them last year. To read more about the wrongful nursing home death, click the link.

A Berwyn, Illinois nursing home has been hit with additional serious health violations. The Illinois Department of Health released an inspection report showing that investigators found six violations at the Berwyn Rehabilitation Center. One such violation stated that the nursing home failed to quickly treat patients with wounds. For two days, inspectors observed a woman with a large sore surrounded by dried blood receive no intervention or wound assessment. Inspectors also noticed another resident with a long redden area on the right cheek. Only after the inspector complained did the staff take notice. The inspectors noticed that the nursing home did not have a working mechanical lift to help residents out of bed, resulting in the facility not providing showers or getting some patients out of days. While the six violations were quite serious, they were much lower than the 25 violations that had been reported in July of 2008. The Berwyn nursing home was one of the 81 nursing homes in the Chicagoland area to receive a one-star quality rating by the federal government’s ranking system. To read more about the Berwyn home, click here.

The following tips can be used in choosing a good nursing home that has no record of elder neglect. First, review the home’s most recent annual inspection report, which must be posted at the facility. You may ask the nursing homes about previous inspection reports and complaint investigations. Also, compare nursing homes by checking out the star ratings and finding out the number of registered nurses per resident. Ensure that the nursing home has not been fined in Illinois by checking out the Illinois Department of Public Health website. If you have already found suspect elder abuse or neglect, consult the home’s director of nursing. Also, make sure that you review the resident’s care plan and doctor’s order. Read more tips on nursing homes.

An East Moline, Illinois nursing home employee is facing a felony sexual assault charge for an alleged elderly abuse incident involving an 82-year-old female resident. Police were called to the nursing home to investigate the alleged sexual assault. This alleged elderly sexual abuse took place at the Parkview Terrace nursing home in East Moline. Currently, Levin & Perconti has a nursing home negligence suit against this home. Levin & Perconti filed the suit after a resident wrongfully died. To read more about the sexual abuse, please click here.

An Illinois man is behind bars after police say he sexually assaulted an 82-year-old woman at a Parkview Terrace nursing home. He was arrested after a nursing home employee saw him raping a woman. The court records show that a 57-year-old worker at the nursing home had sexual intercourse with an 82-year-old resident. Another employee walked into the room and saw the man having sex with a woman who could not give him consent. The Illinois Department of Public Health has concluded an investigation and says that the nursing home did not violate any rules or regulations. Elderly sexual abuse cannot be tolerated at any nursing homes, and background checks must be done to ensure this does not happen. To read more about the sexual abuse, click here.

Sunny Hill Nursing Home in Joliet, Illinois is changing its facility to allow their residents more independence. Schedules that once were set in stone are now more flexible and accommodating. The residents can decide when to wake up, when to bathe, when to exercise and what to eat. Usually nursing homes run like hospitals, where residents had cemented routines, were sometimes heavily medicated or physically restrained to avoid disruption, and had few choices about how to live out their years. The transformation under way is part of a national reshaping of nursing homes to make needs and preferences of residents central to operations. Legions of health-care advocates have pushed for more nursing homes to adapt these practices. A study released show that a third of the country’s 16,000 nursing homes have adopted cultural-change practices and another quarter of the homes are moving in that direction. The federal government is also urging a change in the way nursing homes are run. To read more about the Illinois change, click here.

Charges of nursing home abuse and nursing home neglect are rising across the country, but there are certain things that families of nursing home residents can do to spot elder abuse before it causes wrongful death or severe injury. Examine your loved one for bedsores and bruises. Ask your loved one questions – if they are agitated, restless, or out of sorts, this could be a clue that things at the nursing home are not right. Issues like rape, sexual assault, physical assault, and elder abuse need to be reported immediately to law enforcement.

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An Illinois woman caring for a woman with terminal brain cancer was sentenced to 180 days in jail for stealing money from the victim’s Illinois home. The caregiver was also placed on 2 years probation in this case of Illinois elder abuse.

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CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) has published new guidelines regarding pressure sores (decubitus ulcers). SNFs (Skilled Nursing Facilities), like nursing homes and long-term care facilities, are commonly cited for elder abuse and neglect. Often this nursing home abuse and neglect can result in the development of pressure ulcers on elderly patients. The new regulations specify that “a resident who enters [a] facility without pressure sores does not develop pressure sores unless the individual’s clinical condition demonstrates that they were unavoidable.” With attentive care, pressure ulcers are usually preventable. Therefore, all nursing homes under the Medicare/Medicaid program will receive amplified attention from State Surveyors with the goal of zero tolerance for bed sores. This will put an increased burden on nursing homes and facilities to treat and prevent decubitus ulcers, which are often concurrent with elder abuse and neglect. For the full article, click here.

Elder abuse and neglect is widespread in today’s nursing homes and long-term care facilities. The failure to prevent falls among the elderly is one of the most common examples of negligence in nursing homes. Many of the falls that cause death or serious injury among elderly nursing home patients are, in fact, preventable. Patients should be evaluated on neurological status, debilitating diseases, drug status, mental state, sensory deficits, history of falls, and age. If they are deemed at any risk for falls, homes and facilities should take extra precaution to prevent injury. An at-risk patient should be escorted to the bathroom or frequently offered the use of a bedpan, for instance. Failure to supervise elderly at-risk patients could result in falls with serious consequences. Every elderly patient is entitled to proper and attentive care, and the prevention of falls is a responsibility of every nursing home and health care facility.

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Steven M. Levin and Margaret P. Battersby of Levin & Perconti filed a nursing home negligence lawsuit against an Illinois nursing home last week. The nursing home lawsuit was filed in Cook County and brought on behalf of a 77 year-old woman. The Illinois nursing home lawsuit alleges that the nursing home failed to monitor and treat pressure sores that ultimately contributed to the 77 year-old’s death.

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A federal government website is releasing nursing home ratings. If it is a good nursing home with no indication of nursing home abuse, the home is rated five stars. More than 25% of Illinois nursing homes received only one star. This indicates that Illinois nursing home abuse is still prevalent.

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For the map of bad nursing homes.

The daughter of an elderly woman has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against an Illinois nursing home, claiming her mother died after being attacked by a patient with violent tendencies. The lawsuit was filed in the Cook County Circuit Court against Lexington Health Care Center of Streamwood, Illinois. The suit claims that the victim was admitted to the nursing home in 2006 suffering from dementia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder and hypertension. In November the woman was physically attacked by another resident. Prior to the attack the resident had repeatedly threatened the victim with violence while in the presence of staff at the nursing home. Nursing home staff members were also made aware of the resident’s “violent propensities”. The victim suffered multiple bruises and suffered a stroke following the attack. The lawsuit alleges that the physical attack caused or contributed to her death. The suit alleges that the nursing home staff failed to protect the victim from abuse and neglect; failed to provide services with professional standards; failed to timely inform the victim’s family that she had been attacked by another resident; failed to maintain records; failed to provide adequate care for the victim and failed to notify the victim’s family of changes in her condition. To read the full story, click here.

Steven Levin and Margaret Battersby of Levin & Perconti filed a complaint in the Circuit Court of Cook County against International Village nursing home in Chicago. The complaint was filed on behalf of James Yearword who experienced elderly neglect while a resident at the nursing home in May 2008. The nursing home failed to care for James’ condition properly and he wrongfully died as a result at the age of 55. When the victim entered International Village on May 7, 2008 he was a quadriplegic and could not breathe on his own. The victim had a ventilator and tracheotomy tube that required daily maintenance and suctioning to keep it clear. On May 9, a nurse at the home was changing the oxygen supply on his ventilator and failed to turn it back on. For 24 hours, James had to breathe without the oxygen from his ventilator. The victim stayed in the hospital for several days and returned to International Village 4 days later. When he was released from the hospital, his doctors gave the nursing home orders to continue tracheotomy care and suctioning, but included new orders to administer chest physical therapy three times daily. His physicians’ orders were never carried out by the nursing home staff and for thirteen days he did not receive chest physical therapy. In addition, the nursing home failed to suction his tracheotomy tube regularly.

On May 26, nurses found James unresponsive, pulse-less and barely breathing in his bed. After he was transported to the hospital he was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival. The Illinois Department of Health conducted an investigation that revealed a number of failures in care by the nursing home. The nursing home was then cited for improper elder care. Attorney Steven Levin stated that the victim’s case is “An unfortunate example of nursing home neglect. The nursing home staff failed to consider the proper care and therapy that his physicians ordered and that was required to help ultimately led to his death.” Mr. Levin believes that these failures led to the victim’s death. In February 2008, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) listed that International Village had poor inspection ratings and histories of serious problems. In October, International Village was one of the two Illinois nursing homes listed as a “Facility That Has Not Improved.”

The corporate owner of a Forest Park, Illinois nursing home pleaded guilty to felony gross neglect that resulted in the death of a long-term patient. The woman died at the Pavilion of Forest Park, owned by Forest Park LLC, in 2002. In September 2005, a Cook County grand jury indicated the company, along with its former medical director and wound-care physician. The woman lived at the home from May 2002 until her she died in September 2005. She was taken to the hospital where doctors diagnosed her with severe bed sores and tissue damage to the bone. Cook County Circuit Judge James Schreier ordered the company to pay a $25,000 fine and $75,000 in investigation and court costs for the nursing home negligence. The company also was sentenced to the maximum sentence of 30 months conditional discharge; however the nursing home had been sold to another company the past year. The charges began after the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Bureau and the Illinois state Police Medicaid Fraud Control Unit conducted an investigation. The case against the owner for elder abuse is still pending. To read the full story, click here.

An Illinois nursing home is facing a nursing home neglect lawsuit from a widow whose husband’s death was caused by a nursing home’s negligence. The law firm of Levin & Perconti filed a complaint on behalf of the victim’s family, stating that the victim died of renal failure and sepsis caused by dehydration.

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A nursing home is facing a lawsuit from a widow who is accusing the facility of negligence that led to her husband’s death in East Moline. Levin & Perconti filed the suit for the family of the victim against Parkview Terrace. The victim died of renal failure and sepsis caused by dehydration. The suit was filed in Cook County courts. When the family went to the hospital the emergency room doctor told them it was the worst case of dehydration he had ever seen. When the man was admitted to the nursing home, the staff determined he was at risk for dehydration. The staff members were supposed to help him with his meals and watch his intake of food and fluid. However, when his family members returned a week later, the victim was lethargic and medications were running out of his mouth. He died 36 hours later. This is the second lawsuit Levin & Perconti has filed against Lakeview Terrace. The first involved a woman who also had died of dehydration. To read the full story, click here.

A nursing home abuse and neglect lawsuit against River Valley Supportive Living Residence in Kankakee, Illinois and its former employee was settled for $500,000, the facility’s insurance policy limit, by Steven M. Levin, of the Chicago law firm Levin & Perconti, and James Spiros of Spiros & Wall. The suit was filed on the behalf of a 93 year-old woman who was a resident at the nursing home. The complaint alleged that she was sexually and physically assaulted by a 22 year-old former employee of River Valley, who now faces criminal charges of aggravated sexual assault. The complaint also alleged that River Valley’s administration ignored numerous complaints of sexual and physical assault by the victim in addition to ignoring reports from other residents that the victim claimed to have been raped. Further allegations included that the nursing home ignored obvious signs such as the inordinate amount of time that the employee spent in the victim’s room and the unusual amount of attention that he provided her, especially during bathing times. Instead of investigating the claim, the staff dismissed the charges as possible early signs of dementia, subjecting the victim to further abuse. During the victim’s final two months at River Valley, she suffered multiple personal injuries, including unexplainable bruises to her face, around her eye, on her elbow, inner arm, back, and wrist.

The settlement was reached back in June, 2007, but its details were not allowed to be made public until the recent unsealing of its terms by a judge. The Circuit Court of the 21st Judicial Circuit, Kankakee County, sealed the settlement, preventing both sides from disclosing the terms prior to the former employee’s criminal trial. The public announcement comes as state attorneys prepare to take the criminal case to trial.

Lake County has agreed to settle a lawsuit with the family of an elderly Illinois woman who died in January 2005 at a nursing home in Libertyville. The settlement is for a $1 million. The seven-figure settlement to be paid to the family of an Alzheimer’s patient who died at the nursing home, is the largest settlement for a nursing home negligence case in Lake County. Attorney Steven Levin filed the suit on behalf of the woman’s husband and three daughters, claiming the nursing home failed to take proper procedures to prevent her continuous falls. The suit claims that the woman had trouble walking because of her dementia and despite her unsteadiness, never had a fall assessment completed by the nursing home’s staff. According to the suit, the woman fell six times in eight months and the nursing home failed to take appropriate measures. After a failed attempt to monitor her falls, the woman fell two more times, causing her to suffer brain injuries and hip and elbow fractures. She eventually died from her injuries. Attorney Steven Levin said the nursing home has agreed to put in place “procedures that will hopefully prevent something like this from happening in the future.” To read the full story, click here.

One of Lake County’s largest nursing home negligence lawsuits ended this week with a $1 million payment to the family of a nursing home negligence victim. Lake County agreed to pay the seven-figure settlement to the family of an Alzheimer’s patient who died at 83 while a resident at Winchester House in Libertyville. A lawsuit filed on behalf of her husband and three daughters claimed that the nursing home failed to take proper measures to prevent her continuous falls. The woman was admitted to the nursing home as her dementia increased. Before she was admitted, her gait had become unsteady and she had trouble walking. Attorney Steven Levin argued that despite her unsteadiness, the woman never had a fall assessment completed by the nursing home’s staff. The woman fell six times in her first eight months there and the nursing home never took appropriate measures. Even after they implemented a wheelchair and bed alarms, they did not use the technology properly. The woman then fell two more times and these falls caused her to suffer brain injuries and hip and elbow fractures. The nursing home’s $1 million said is the largest nursing home negligence settlement in Lake County history. To read the full story, click here.

One of Lake County, Illinois’s largest nursing home negligence lawsuits ended after the county agreed to a $1 million payment to the family of the woman. Lake County agreed to pay the settlement to the family of an Alzheimer’s patient who died at age 83 while she was a resident at the Winchester House in Libertyville. Levin & Perconti filed the lawsuit on behalf of the woman’s husband and daughters claiming that the county-operated nursing home failed to take proper measures to prevent the woman’s continuous falls. The woman was admitted to the Winchester House in January 2004 as her dementia had increased and she became unsteady in her walking. Attorney Steven Levin argued that despite her unsteadiness, the woman never had a fall assessment completed by the staff at the nursing home. He also stated that the nursing home took no significant action to prevent further falls after she tumbled six times in her first eight months at the home. Levin stated that the nursing home had six opportunities to assure future injuries would not occur. By September of 2004, nurses at implemented wheelchair and bed alarms, but the technology was not used properly and the woman fell two more times. These falls caused her to suffer brain injures and hip and elbow fractures. She died in early January 2005. According to Levin, the $1 million settlement is the largest nursing home settlement in Lake County history. To read the full story, click here.

The relatives of a woman who died after repeated falls at the county-run nursing home in Libertyville, Illinois will receive $1 million in the largest nursing home negligence settlement in Lake County history. The family, represented by Susan Novosad, a partner at the Chicago law firm Levin & Perconti, was able to successfully negotiate the settlement out of court after mediation. The 83-year-old woman was admitted to Winchester House in January 2004, suffering from dementia. Following her admission to Winchester, and throughout the remainder of the year, she fell several times, resulting in serious personal injuries including broken bones and a brain injury. She died in January 2005, one month after a final fall requiring surgery. Her death prompted the nursing home to institute new policies, requiring staff to check patients' wheelchair and bed alarms more frequently to ensure that they are in proper working order. For more information, read the stories published in the Daily Herald, by clicking here, and the Lake County News-Sun, by clicking here.

On October 24,2008, a lawsuit was filed against Washington Heights Nursing Home by John J. Perconti, of the Chicago law firm Levin & Perconti, for nursing home abuse and neglect. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the family of Stanley “Ted” Dancy, is for personal injuries that Ted sustained while under the nursing home’s care, which contributed to his death.

In September, 2007, Mr. Dancy began experiencing confusion and changes in his mental health status, prompting his doctors to recommend temporary rehabilitative care. Upon this recommendation, he was admitted to Washington Heights Nursing Home. At the time of his admission, Mr. Dancy had no evidence of skin breakdown or pressure sores but, after just one month at the Chicago nursing home, it was necessary to send him to Mr. Sinai Hospital where he was diagnosed with four advanced-stage pressure ulcers (or bed sores), a urinary tract infection, and malnourishment. After being treated at the hospital, his family decided to send Mr. Dancy to a different nursing home. Charlotte Parnell, Mr. Dancy’s daughter, stated, “there was no way that we were sending him back to Washington Heights. Unfortunately, by that time, it was too late to reverse the deterioration of his condition.” Unable to recover from the injuries that he suffered at Washington Heights, Ted Dancy passed away on December 12, 2007.

“We trusted Washington Heights to rehabilitate our father, but their lack of care or concern for him was astonishing. They clearly did not do all that they could have done to try to better his condition, instead they made him much worse,” said Ted Dancy’s daughters, Charlotte Parnell and Delorise Dancy-Johnson.

A nursing home negligence lawsuit was filed against South Shore Nursing & Rehabilitation Center by attorney John J. Perconti of Levin & Perconti on Friday, October 24, 2008. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the family of Lula Moore of Chicago, is for the personal injuries Lula suffered as a resident at South Shore, which lead to her death on November, 17, 2007.

Lula Moore was admitted to South Shore in August of 2007 after her doctors recommended that she be moved into a nursing home in order to receive constant care necessary for her Alzheimer’s. “We did a lot of research and we chose South Shore because of its reputation and that it was close to home to make visitation easier. We placed our faith and trust in this facility and thought we made the best choice for our mother,” said Brenda and Karen Moore, Lula’s daughters.

Lula had no signs of pressure ulcers, or bed sores, when she entered South Shore but just 3 days after her admission the staff discovered an ulcer on her tailbone. This sore progressed and required Lula to be hospitalized twice to surgically treat the wound, which ultimately declined to the point of infection. Lula’s doctors diagnosed her with Sepsis, a blood infection, and her health continued to deteriorate rapidly. On November, 17, 2007, 3 months after being admitted to South Shore, Lula died. The cause of death was determined to be sepsis as a result of her infected pressure ulcer.

The Illinois Department of Public Health investigated the circumstances leading up to Lula Moore’s death, found several deficiencies in the care provided by South Shore, and cited the facility for improper nursing care. John J. Perconti, the attorney who filed the case, stated, “Lula Moore’s case is a devastating example of nursing home negligence. The staff at South Shore failed to carry out a simple plan of care that would have prevented the pressure ulcer from forming. The facility also failed in its treatment plan, allowing the wound to become infected, requiring surgery and ultimately contributing to her death.”

Residents of Bourbonnais Terrace in Bourbonnais, Illinois were evacuated from their facility after the discovery of toxic asbestos. The building was forced to be temporarily closed due to the toxic asbestos. The nursing home has 197 patients, primarily mentally ill and immediate-care patients. They were dispersed to two different nursing homes throughout the area. On Oct. 7, the Illinois Department of Public Health received an anonymous tip about asbestos at the nursing home owned by Phillip Esformes. Tests were done the next day and airborne asbestos were found. The nursing home maintenance workers were renovating the building’s floor tiles when they released asbestos into the ventilation system. In violation of state law, nursing home administrators did not call a licensed asbestos contractor. All of the nursing home patients have returned to the Bourbonnais home, but the common areas remain closed. To read the full story, click here.

A report found that a nurse repeatedly told administrators that she feared a coworker was improperly drugging patients to keep them quiet during her shift. The Illinois Department of Public Health report states that the administrators did nothing to stop it. The nursing supervisor allegedly giggled and gave the nurse permission to continue playing “angel of death.” That supervisor is currently facing criminal charges. The former administrator and co-owner are denying that she knew that drugs were allegedly being mishandled two years ago. Steve Levin, who has filed a nursing home negligence suit on behalf of one of the victims, stated that many of the individual nurses had reported the incident to the administrator and the director of nurses. He further argues that the individual nurses has a responsibility to report this to the police when they did not get a response from the administration. The nurse had allegedly told co-workers that a particular patient “would not be bothering her” because she had given him a drug “cocktail”. To read the full story, click here.

A state report issued after there were six mysterious deaths at a Chicago, Illinois nursing home shows that the deaths may not have been mercy killings. The report indicates that the nursing home residents were killed because they were too difficult to deal with. The shocking report shows that the nurse talked openly of sedating or giving overdoses of drugs to patients who were either difficult to handle or who had lived long enough. The nurse in question has been charged with criminal neglect and possession of a controlled substance and her supervisor has been also been charged. Attorney Steve Levin stated that, “Other nurses had been reproving to the administration that the nurse under investigation was acting in strange and unusual ways and the administration ignored, if no encouraged, her actions.” The attorneys at Levin & Perconti have already filed on behalf of a nursing home victim. The Illinois Department of Public Health has issued one of the largest fines against a nursing home, $300,000. To read the full story, click here.

A report has found that the death of six elderly patients at a nursing home in 2006 may have been the work of a nurse overdosing patients she found to be troublesome or believed had lived long enough. A 130-page report from the Illinois Department of Public Health claims that the nurse told co-workers she gave restless patients drug cocktails to keep them calm and flatly stated that “she made sure” one patient would not make it through the day. The report was generated as part of a 15-month state investigation into six mysterious deaths at the Illinois nursing home. The nurse faces criminal neglect charges alleging she intentionally gave four patients unsafe doses of drugs, including morphine. All four residents died within some hours of receiving the drugs. The nurse is alleged to have told co-workers that she gave difficult patients a medication cocktail so that she could have a quiet shift. Levin & Perconti have already filed lawsuits on behalf of victims of the “Angel of Death” case. To read the full story, click here.

A McHenry County, Illinois nursing home was fined nearly $360,000 after regulators alleged that an employee used drug cocktails to ensure residents “would not be bothering her during her shift.” These fines were imposed after the Illinois Department of Public Health concluded that improper use of drugs like morphine sulfate contributed to the deaths in 2006 at the Illinois facility. The nurse is accused of stating that she made sure that a patient would not make it through the day. The nursing home was fined a record $300,000 by the state and the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services added another $57,350 in penalties. The Department of Public Health said the most serious violations involved the use of “chemical restraints” which are drugs used to sedate patients. State law prohibits using drugs to discipline nursing home residents or as a staff convenience. Levin & Perconti have already filed lawsuits on behalf of victims of the “angel of death” case. To read the full story, click here.