Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog

An elderly couple has died in a nursing home, apparently the result of a nursing home murder-suicide. The husband of the nursing home resident, who often spent time with his wife in the nursing home, apparently shot her in the head before killing himself. News reports indicate that there was a suicide note that both had signed. This incident raises serious questions about the ability of nursing home staff to diagnose mental disorders and depression in nursing home residents. Often, nursing home psychological and psychiatric staff are in short supply and many nurses and nursing aides may not be trained to detect signs of mental illness. It is important that family members stay active and involved with their loved ones’ mental health.

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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.

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Steven Levin of Levin & Perconti will represent Virginia Cole’s surviving family members in a nursing home abuse and wrongful death lawsuit. Virginia Cole was one of the victims at Woodstock Residences, the Chicago-area nursing home at the center of a pending criminal trial.

Two former nursing home employees of Woodstock Residences were charged in McHenry County with causing the deaths of four residents at the nursing home. The charges include criminal neglect of the nursing home residents and overmedicating patients with morphine.

At a press conference on Monday with the victim’s son in law, Steven Levin commented on the role of nurse Marty Himebaugh at Woodstock Residences: “The director of nurses at the facility -- and this is a quote from the indictment -- was encouraging Marty Himebaugh to act in a role of angel of death.” Mr. Levin will file suit in the Circuit Court of Cook County shortly.

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A Department of Social Services employee was taken into custody due to her failure to report the abuse and neglect of a vulnerable patient. The DSS employee observed an elderly woman starving to death and living in deplorable conditions but did nothing to report or prevent the patient’s continued deterioration. State law creates an affirmative obligation on DSS employees to report such abuse and neglect.

The employee faces up to one year in prison. Additionally, the deprived woman’s caretakers face two counts of abuse and neglect of a vulnerable adult, with a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. This case should be a reminder to anyone who is responsible for elder care that, if you observe any negligence or malpractice, it is both a moral and legal duty to report substandard care. Improving the level of care older patients are given requires caretakers, especially those in nursing homes, to remember that their primary duty is to their patients, not their employer.

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