Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog

A nursing home employee has been charged with felonies in the theft of a credit card from a patient at the home. The police say the 25-year-old employee stole a credit card and then tried to get money from the ATM machine. A bank employee called the police to report suspicious activity and the man threw the credit card in the trash can. He was charged with grand larceny, tampering with physical evidence and criminal possession of stolen property. Financial exploitation of the elderly has become all too common. To read more about the financial abuse, please click the link.

A man is currently behind bars after the embezzlement and elderly neglect of his own mother. The victim was diabetic, deaf in one ear and blind in one eye. The man is charged with one count of embezzlement of a vulnerable adult, which is felony. Additionally, once inside the victim’s home investigators say they found trash, clothing and dirty dishes strewn about the house. There was no running water and no heat. There was obvious elderly neglect with the victim being found on a urine-soaked, maggot-infested sofa. When the investigators lifted up the couch a pool of urine ran down the sides. The man was taking the money she got in assistance and using it for himself. This is an example of both financial exploitation and elderly abuse. To read more about the elderly neglect case, please click the link.

A registered nurse stole more than $22,000 from an elderly man suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and then used the money to pay for expensive lingerie, delinquent tax bills, a trip to Atlantic City and more. The woman surrendered to authorities on various financial exploitation felony charges that could land her in jail for up to 15 years. The county’s prosecutor was appalled adding that it is disturbing for a registered nurse to steal from an Alzheimer’s patient. This case highlights that elder abuse is not just physical it can also be seen in financial abuse. If you believe you have been a victim of financial exploitation, find an Illinois lawyer. To read more about the nursing home negligence case, 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.

Three people used lies and threats to persuade an elderly woman more than $100,000. The three became acquainted with the victim and came up with a variety of reasons why she needed to give them thousands of dollars at a time from her bank account. Once the flow of money stopped, the three started threats of violence against the elderly woman. They befriended her in the neighborhood so that they trusted them. The three have been charged with grand larceny, conspiracy and aggravated harassment. Experts note that elder abuse is far too common and typically committed by family members, caregivers or others who ingratiate themselves into the victim’s life. The 72-year-old victim would hand over almost $5,000 each month from her bank account. Scam artists and other abusers make themselves indispensable to elderly victims, who might need help or feel lonely. Financial exploitation has become all too commonplace across the country, including Chicago, Illinois. To read more the elderly abuse, please click.

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.

An elderly woman discovered that her two gold rings, one with a diamond-encrusted flower, the other a pearl was missing from her room at an assisted-living facility. Police say that the ring was stolen and then pawned by an employee at the assisted-living facility. The employee was also charged with using the credit cards of two other elderly residents to buy clothing, shoes and even hair extensions. She has since pled not guilty to larceny and credit card fraud. She has since been fired and ordered by the judge to have no contact with anyone disabled or over the age of 65 as a condition of her release. Financial exploitation has become all too-common place in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities especially in Chicago, Illinois. To read more about the stolen goods, please click the link.

A trio of women pled guilty to crimes against a nursing home resident. The three women stole a nursing home patient driver’s license and social security card. She and the other defendants used them to obtain credit cards, cell phones and other goods and services totaling more than ten thousand dollars. All three women will have to pay restitution fines to the elderly victims. Financial exploitation of the elderly is becoming all too commonplace. To read more about the financial abuse, please click here.

An internet scam that is sweeping the nation is defrauding many elderly residents. The scam involves elderly residents winning the lottery in foreign countries, and then being forced to transfer taxes upfront before the fictitious winnings are released. Authorities believe that these people are hustled over the Internet, and since the elderly are new to the Internet they grow confused and gullible. Additionally, banks need to be more attuned to the needs of the elderly. In this specific case, the bank released large sums of money to the elderly man after he informed them he bought property in Spain. Most banks are required to report suspected financial abuse of elders to Adult Protective Services or local law enforcement, yet this bank failed to do so. Financial abuse against the elderly can occur anywhere, including here in Chicago, Illinois. To read more about the financial abuse, please click the link.

Police have arrested a man accused of stealing money from elderly women. The man was a traveling gypsy who preys upon elderly women. He would pull his truck over and set fire to the trunk. Then the scammers would allegedly convince the seniors that their cars needed immediate repair for their own safety. The police stated that the seniors were duped out of more than $15,000 of their savings. The gypsies have left a trial of police reports in several states and have access to many women’s driver’s licenses. The men specifically preyed on many elderly women to commit financial exploitation. This kind of financial abuse happens all over, including Chicago, Illinois. To read more about the financial elderly abuse, click the link.

A former caregiver at a nursing home who was accused of stealing the checkbooks of two elderly residents was sentenced to six months in jail. The man was charged in an embezzling scheme and pled no contest to three felony counts of financial elder abuse. The man stole the checkbooks of an 88-year-old resident and 75-year-old resident and then wrote multiple checks from one victim’s account to the others. He then withdrew the transferred money from the second account. All in all, he stole about $4,000 in all from the two elderly people. Part of his sentence for elderly financial exploitation includes reimbursing Wells Fargo and Bank of America. Nursing home employees oftentimes commit fraud against the elderly. To read more about the financial exploitation, click here.

A former nursing home owner has pled guilty to two counts of criminal elderly mistreatment in connection with the theft of more than $58,000. The woman owned a nursing home that housed Alzheimer’s patients. She was sentenced to 12 months in jail and ordered to pay more than $50,000 in restitution. The Department of Human Services seized the business and moved the patients to other facilities after finding substandard care and allegations of elderly abuse. The allegations did include elderly financial exploitation. To read more about the elderly thefts, click here.

In a case of elder financial abuse, an in-home caregiver from Maywood, Illinois was arrested last year for stealing about $300 from the home of a woman with terminal brain cancer. Elders in nursing homes and those being cared for at other facilities or their own homes are at serious risk for financial exploitation, a form of elder abuse. The caregiver was recently sentenced to 180 days in jail by a DuPage County, Illinois court. For the full article, click here.

A sheriff’s office has made arrests in two separate cases in which elderly men reportedly were defrauded by people who befriended him. In one case, two women threatened to file a personal injury lawsuit against an 80 year-old man if he did not give them $5,000. The women told the elderly man that one fell in his garage and was injured.

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In a case of a betraying nursing home abuse, two Midwestern nursing home employees have been accused of stealing a resident’s ring. According to the complaint, one nursing home employee took two rings and told the resident that she was going to get them resized. Instead, the employee committed financial abuse and pawned the rings. All for $15.00.

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A caretaker was arrested on suspicion of stealing a great deal of savings from an elderly woman. In an awful case of elder abuse and neglect, the caretaker was arrested on suspicion of theft and obtaining property by deception. The woman was 79 years old and the caretaker was privately employed by the victim’s family.

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A 97-year-old woman trusted a caregiver to come into her home and give her aid. Unfortunately, the woman was greatly deceived by her caregiver who gained access to her checkbook and stole more than $22,000 of her savings. The caregiver forged numerous checks by writing them to herself, and the elderly woman only discovered this fraud when she began to assemble her income taxes. The caregiver did not stop with the check book; she also stole clothes and cash from the 97-year-old victim. The fraudulent caregiver left the elderly woman on New Year’s Eve and never said goodbye. Although warrants have been issued for her arrest for larceny from a person over 60, there are no leads as to where this criminal could be. Fraud against the elderly is becoming all too common. To read the full story, click here.

As a result of the notoriously substandard care provided by nursing homes throughout the country, elderly individuals in need of assistance are turning to home-care providers to the extent that the home-care industry constitutes two of the top three fastest growing occupations in the U.S. However, partly because of this staggering growth, regulation of home-care workers has been inadequate. Recently, home-care workers were convicted of theft, abuse, and even manslaughter.

One of the principal reasons for this trend is the lack of regulation of the home-healthcare industry. A majority of states do not require criminal background checks for wannabe providers leading to situations where felons convicted of burglary are able to easily access elderly patients’ homes. Illinois is among the few states that requires home-care providers be licensed and screen their employees. However, until other states follow the trend, elder abuse will continue to move from nursing homes into our own homes.

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The Seventh Circuit recently ruled that Alden Management Services, which operates seven nursing homes in or near Chicago, is required to back pay 119 foreign nurses. The decision was premised on the Immigration Nursing Relief Act of 1989, which allowed facilities to secure visas for foreign nurses. However, the Act requires the facility pay foreign nurses the same amount as registered nurses who are U.S. citizens. Alden violated this provision. The fear with underpaying nurses is that this will result in an equivalent drop in the standard of care. As a result, the court decided to require Alden to pay back the entire difference from since its first use of foreign nurses.

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A Louisville nurse took nursing home neglect to a new extreme, stealing from an elderly patient in order to pay her own bills. The daughter of the nursing home victim realized something was wrong when she tried to pay her mother's bill only to see the check bounce. There is no word yet whether criminal charges have been filed againt the nursing home employee or whether the family will file suit against the careless nursing home who allowed its employee to exploit the victim.

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Throughout the country, nursing home patients and others who give power of attorney to trusted friends and family members are finding the power is abused. The power of attorney is supposed to provide a safety net for senior citizens. However, the authority that comes from power of attorney is essentially unregulated, creating enormous potential for abuse. Statistics are lacking but experts believe senior citizens are losing millions every year as a result of the abuse of the power.

Usually, the power is given to trusted family members, friends, and respected professionals such as attorneys. Unfortunately, even children abuse the power by selling off assets for their own personal gain, failing to pay bills and expenses, and even mortgaging houses to live a high-rolling lifestyle. Often, these selfish decisions by power of attorney holders result in seniors declaring bankruptcy. These problems all stem from the enormous amount of unchecked power given to those with power of attorney.

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An owner and operator of four personal care homes that provided “appalling” care reached a $700,000 settlement agreement whereby she agreed never to operate any such facility. Following the closing of the last of her four personal care facilities, the owner reached a settlement that is merely a drop in the bucket for the multimillionaire, especially considering the severity of the allegations.

The owner and her managers were accused of horrible treatment while siphoning federal assistance funds designed for residents for their own personal use, including social security, disability, and veterans benefits. U.S. attorneys alleged that the owner’s facilities were unsanitary, structurally unsafe, provided insufficient food, nutrition, clothing and bedding. Where residents were ill and needed medical assistance, the facility’s staff failed to respond or even call for medical assistance. Furthermore, the facilities were chronically understaffed, including one home that was cited twice in three months for not having enough staff to provide at least one hour of personal care per day to its mobile residents.

The settlement in this case appears to be well short of many expectations given the atrocious care and the apparent ill-gotten wealth of the owner. She has a portfolio of multimillion-dollar homes in several states, an aircraft, and is currently renovating a gated estate, allegedly using funds that were obtained by virtue of providing substandard care. Unfortunately, this demonstrates the lack of oversight in many states where, for example, 75% of personal care facilities are operating without a license.

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One elderly person is victimized every 2.7 minutes in the United States, according to a recent “crime clock” by the Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime. Common types of elder abuse include physical nursing home abuse, financial abuse and exploitation, and other crimes. The Office of Victims of Crime has published this clock to raise awareness about crime frequency as a part of their National Crime Victims’ Rights Week which runs from April 13-19.

See the crime clock here.

Financial exploitation and abuse is the most common form of elder abuse reported and investigated in Illinois. Recently, the caregiver of an 83-year-old man was found forging checks in the man's name. Workers at the Sugar Grove, Illinois bank noticed the irregularities in the checks and notified police. The caregiver is being charged with forgery and financial exploitation of an elderly/disabled person. The elderly aren't always lucky enough to have outsiders discover the source of exploitation. Here are a few ways to protect yourself or a loved one when hiring a caregiver:

-Check the backgrounds and references of future employees
-Allow another person (friend, family, lawyer) to have access to bank accounts to monitor spending
-Tell the bank that a caregiver will be handling some financial transactions and to monitor them
-If employing a caregiver or other worker in the home, secure personal information
-Never give bank account or credit card information over the phone
-Shred or get rid of papers with personal and bank information

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The police department of Quincy, Illinois has a well-established Senior and Family Resource Center that has recently appointed a new elder services officer, Detective Tom Liesen. Elder abuse and neglect, home repair fraud, and financial exploitation of elders are some of the areas that Detective Liesen investigates. He has been trained in elder services and regularly attends elder rights conferences. Liesen also visits nursing homes to speak with residents and staff and has investigated cases of nursing home abuse and neglect. He said, "When you see the pictures of bedsores, it's shocking. It's sad because you realize that one little bit of care could have prevented that." Detective Liesen provides a much needed service to his community and has set an example for other Illinois communities to follow. Protecting the elderly should be a priority in every town and city.

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In an instance of elder financial abuse and exploitation taken to the extreme, an 86-year-old woman was pepper-sprayed and robbed by her cleaning service workers. A Cook County District court set $150,000 bond for the two cleaning workers from Naperville and Chicago, Illinois. The women allegedly rang the elderly woman's doorbell and sprayed her in the face with pepper spray when she came to the door. The women stole $400 from the resident's purse and fled.

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Elder financial abuse and fraud is one of the most common types of abuse and neglect inflicted upon senior citizens. New evidence has shown that aging of the brain, and not gullibility, loneliness or intelligence, can make elders vulnerable to financial exploitation. A recent University of Iowa study has shown that medical or neurological problems in the brains of the elderly can lead to an increased vulnerability to financial abuse and fraud. A significant percentage of elderly participants in a study showed disproportionate signs of aging in the brain region responsible for decision-making. It is important to protect elders from financial abuse and fraud because they may not be able to do it themselves.

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