Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog

When 84-year-old John DeBias’ health began declining a few years ago, he was forced to abandon his condo in Florida and return to Carpentersville, Illinois, to live with his daughter. However, five months ago, John broke his leg and then suffered a heart attack during surgery and, as he continued to get worse, living with his daughter, Karen, a single working mother, became impossible since she simply did not have the time to devote to her ailing father and in-house health care was not enough. It was then that John was forced to move into a nursing home. Since January, John has lived in multiple Illinois nursing homes. He is finally in one that works for the family, but getting there was difficult. Most of the nursing homes put a good show on for the residents’ families, but care ends up being inadequate and seniors are left to fend for themselves more than they are able. A stint in one nursing home left John with weight loss of 13 pounds in two weeks, urinary tract and yeast infections, a shoulder injury from being pushed and pulled around, dehydration and malnutrition, and pressure sores.

Unfortunately, this is not a unique story for nursing home residents. In 2003, nation-wide state Long Term Care Ombudsmen programs collectively investigated 20,673 complaints against nursing homes and board and care residents. The Nursing Home Transparency and Improvement Act of 2008 is aimed at improving consumer knowledge about the quality of nursing homes. Some ways the Act is achieving that goal is by: (1) posting nursing home ownership details, a standard complaint form, and links to inspection reports on www.medicare.gov; (2) increasing the maximum fines from $10,000 to $100,000 for any nursing home deficiency that results in a death; and (3) independently auditing nursing home chains, allowing closer watching of chains that have failed to comply in the past. In addition, separate from the legislation, there will be a website by the end of the year that evaluates nursing homes on a five-star rating system.

Read more here.

A mental health nursing home has made the news for two colossal problems: frequent resident suicide and unsanitary conditions. Multiple residents in the past year have attempted suicide and the state inspectors believe mental health nursing home abuse and neglect may be the culprit. For instance, two residents jumped from a window and were severely injured in the mental health nursing home and one resident died in the nursing home and was not noticed for 36 hours. These incidents are clearly signs that something has gone terribly wrong. Another resident was found living in a room with a dirt floor, covered with earthworms. The state has opened a major investigation into the home.

Read the full story here.

The abuse of the elderly by nursing home staff rose to new heights as a licensed practical nurse in New Jersey repeatedly abused and stole from nursing home residents over a period of four years. 28-year old Devin Bonsall worked in eight different nursing homes in New Jersey from 2003 to 2007. She was finally caught after an investigation by the New Jersey Office of the Ombudsman for the Institutionalized Elderly. A nurse investigator was able to pick out a pattern regarding several complaints from family members, social workers, anonymous callers, and the facilities themselves. In all the complaints, the nursing home staff would pinch and slap the victims. From these intial reports, the Office of the Ombudsman was able to connect Devin Bonsall to the more serious offenses.

This is not the first time Devin Bonsall has run in with the law. In November 2003, she was charged with two counts of elder neglect, two counts of theft of a controlled dangerous substance, and two counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance. Despite these serious charges in her previous history, it is currently unclear how she was able to find jobs at the various other facilities where she continued to abuse and neglect the elderly.

Click here for the full article.

The Illinois Department on Aging recently awarded Judy Ellet of the Shawnee Alliance for Seniors and Kate Donovan of Rockford 2007 Outstanding Long Term Care Ombudsmen Awards. Long Term Ombudsmen have an important role in Illinois elder rights as they work to protect, defend and advocate for the rights of nursing home and long term care residents and their families. They help with resolving complaints of abuse and neglect, providing information to families and residents and advocate for good individualized care among other important services.

Elder abuse often goes unnoticed, but research indicates that about 4 to 5 percent of people aged 60 years and older are subjected to some form of mistreatment. In Illinois, over 50 percent of elder abuse reports allege financial exploitation; 25 percent allege physical abuse; 45 percent allege active or passive neglect; and 45 percent allege emotional abuse. However, only about one in 13 cases are reported to Illinois's Elder Abuse and Neglect Program.

Continue reading "Illinois Department on Aging awards 2007 Outstanding Long Term Care Ombudsmen" »

A warm welcome to Alison Hirschel as president of the NCCNHR. The NCCNHR focuses on such issues as nursing home abuse and neglect, adequate staffing in nursing home, working conditions of long-term care staff, resident’s rights, family support, development and support for the long-term care ombudsman program, and more. This organization has achieved great success and continues further in its work toward much needed nursing home reform.

Click here to find out more about the NCCNHR

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services surveys nursing homes annually and provides a National Nursing Home Watch List. For 2007, the Illinois Nursing Home Watch List cited 250 Illinois nursing homes for actual harm and immediate jeopardy to patients. Over 25 nursing homes were cited in Chicago alone and at least 30 homes in the state of Illinois were cited for actual harm and immediate jeopardy on three or more surveys. Hence, nursing home abuse and neglect is a legitimate problem in Illinois and the nation as a whole.

The list is published on memberofthefamily.net, a website designed to offer information about Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing homes nationwide. As seen on NBC’s Today Show, memberofthefamily.net also provides literature on the subject of nursing home rights, including the recently published guide Danger Zone: Unlock the Secrets of Nursing Home Medical Records and Protect Your Loved One. The book is intended to help families recognize falsifications in medical records and nursing home negligence.

In Illinois, advocates and nursing home lawyers have been working to combat nursing home abuse and neglect. Organizations like Illinois Citizens for Better Care (ICBC), the Center for Justice and Democracy, and the regional Ombudsmen program can help you determine whether your loved one is a victim of abuse and neglect.

Levin & Perconti's Steve Levin opened the morning session at the Illinois Long Term Care Ombudsman Program Statewide Training Conference on March 29, 2006. Steve presented "Empowering the Ombudsman - Advocacy Suggestions" in which he highlighted the difficulties and challenges facing the Ombudsman in Illinois as they continue their advocacy to promote better quality care in long-term facilities. Amongst the topics Steve addressed were:

• Nursing home reform laws
• Staffing insufficiencies
• Research tools and allies available to Ombudsmen in Illinois
• Importance of charting and reporting
• The role of the family
• The role of private litigation

Download the speech.

What is an ombudsmen?

Ombudsmen in Illinois visit nursing home residents to inform residents and their families of their rights to quality care, and help to resolve problems in long-term care facilities. There are 17 regional ombudsmen programs throughout the state of Illinois. In addition to advocating for quality and individualized care, ombudsmen are available to answer questions including but not limited to:
• What are my rights?
• Am I receiving the appropriate care?
• How can I resolve a complaint or issue with my care?

Click here to access contact information for the ombudsmen in your region.