Illinois Nursing Homes Abuse

Care Missteps Lead to Heat-Related Injuries Among Nursing Home Residents During Summer Months

Published on: July 28, 2021 | Levin & Perconti

Identifying Heat-Related Stress and Dehydration Injuries in Nursing Home Populations During the Summer Months

When you help your loved one find a nursing home, you should feel it is a safe place no matter their risk factors for injury and illness. The facility staff members should be trusted to care for your relatives and friends and protect them from harm. However, extreme weather events, including high temperatures, can be particularly tough on a neglected senior population. And unfortunately, it is not uncommon to hear stories of elderly individuals in dire situations who face severe injury or even die due to elevated hot temperatures and poor air-cooling options.

But elder community members most at risk are not always those living alone and without extensive social networks. They could also be those who rely on nursing homes and long-term care to keep them cool and safe. And when those in charge fail, and facilities don’t train staff to notice heat exhaustion or dehydration warning signs, the risk of a heat-related injury is high. As a result, facilities must invest in keeping cooling equipment, and doors, and windows well-maintained, so that the potential for hot rooms with uncomfortable conditions never presents itself in the first place.

Experienced Leader in Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Law, Steven Levin Raises Continued Concern for Covid Long-Term Care Failures

Published on: July 22, 2021 | Levin & Perconti

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As coronavirus continues to sweep through the Nation, it leaves a trail of death and despair in its wake — hitting particularly hard throughout the Nation’s nursing home communities. According to a special report from the New York Times, almost one-third of all overall COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are linked to nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

However, the numbers are much worse in Illinois. According to IDPH and the Illinois National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (INEDSS):

The first case of COVID-19 in an Illinois long-term care facility was diagnosed on March 11, and a large outbreak ensued.

Another Nursing Home Operator Headed To Prison For Fraud

Published on: July 13, 2021 | Levin & Perconti

Virginia Nursing Home Operator Found Guilty of Health Care Fraud

In Norfolk, Virginia, the operator of Turning Points Residential Care has been sentenced to two years in prison for defrauding Medicaid. According to July 2, 2021 court documents, 47-year-old Lopez Scott submitted more than $188,000 in false claims for a residential nursing facility his business was authorized to use to provide residential support services and skilled nursing services to recipients of Medicaid.

“For three years, the defendant used his position as a nursing home operator to obtain over $188,000 from the Virginia Medicaid program fraudulently,” said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Health care fraud takes funding and critical services away from those who truly need it. We will continue to hold accountable those who exploit these essential health care programs at the expense of vulnerable members of our communities.”

Ex-Nursing Home Worker Speaks Up Amid Foster Health Abuse And Neglect News

Published on: July 7, 2021 | Levin & Perconti

Chicago North Side Nursing Home Facing Heavy Accusations of Neglect and Abuse

News reports and interviews with a former Foster Health and Rehabilitation employee reveal just how terrible conditions and resident treatment are at the North Side nursing home. Just days before, reports and a shocking video of abuse shook residents and family members after a 69-year-old man was found neglected and injured at the nursing home, located at 840 W. Foster Avenue in Chicago.

The former employee, Annette Zegarra, recently worked as an office manager for Foster Health and Rehabilitation Center. Zegarra told WGN9 news she knows the abused resident, now identified by family as James Crowder. Mr. Crowder is also a military veteran. A video shows he was found naked on the floor by another resident’s family member visiting the rehabilitation center. In a video, Crowder appeared confused, with a bloody gash on his head and disabled by an injured foot.

Bedsore Warning Signs Reveal Deeper Nursing Home Issues

Published on: June 23, 2021 | Levin & Perconti

What You Don’t Know About Bedsores Could Be Hurting Your Loved One

Sadly, painful bedsores are one of the most common and preventable injuries in nursing homes and can serve as a severe warning sign of underlying nursing home neglect. A pressure ulcer, also sometimes called a bedsore, a pressure sore, or even decubitus ulcer, may not appear serious at first in some nursing home residents. The open wound often begins with minor red marks on areas of the skin that are in continuous contact with surfaces such as bed linens. The sore will almost always make itself known thought, but it often too late and can be a sad situation for any family member to be informed of when the discovery of it gets to a dangerous and painful open wound stage. By this time, the sore has usually broken down so much skin that the underlying tissue, sometimes bone, is now exposed. These injuries are sure to reveal a more extensive scope of care issues impacting your loved one’s health. When not taken care of or treated with the medical attention required, pressure sores can lead to severe infection, a general decline in overall health, unnecessary emotional anguish and painful discomfort, and even death.

Bedsores are serious injuries that can become life-threatening if not treated in a responsible and timely manner. Although alternative therapies to treat bedsores are becoming available, pressure ulcer treatment remains time-consuming for care staff, making understaffed and underequipped facilities commonplace for bedsores to occur.

Understaffed Nursing Homes Often Miss Early Signs Of Memory Loss In Residents

Published on: June 15, 2021 | Levin & Perconti

How Families Can Help Identify the Early Signs of Memory Loss and Dementia in Loved Ones

Unfortunately, many nursing home workers are not trained to identify the warning signs of declining cognitive abilities. And worrisome activities of a resident with dementia, a form of Alzheimer’s Disease, are too easily missed by overworked and poorly resourced care teams. This leaves many residents struggling due to the extra supervision and management of their daily activities, health and mental wellness, medications, and financial needs. Family members and friends are typically the first to request help after noticing a loved one’s behavioral changes or one or more of the concerning events listed below.

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More Than 100 Chicago-Area Nursing Homes Still Have Open COVID Outbreaks

Published on: June 10, 2021 | Levin & Perconti

120 Cook County Nursing Homes Still Reporting Open COVID-19 Outbreaks in June 2021

Despite the distribution and availability of vaccines, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is still reporting over 100 current coronavirus outbreaks involving one or more cases in the past 28 days in Cook County long-term care facilities. The COVID-19 outbreaks include both residents and staff.

This IDPH data is current as of June 18, 2021. All Illinois long-term care facilities are to report confirmed COVID-19 cases to local health departments and provide the most up-to-date data; however, many facilities are known not to report cases promptly and sometimes fail to do so at all.

Chicago Law Firm Supports Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month

Published on: June 2, 2021 | Levin & Perconti

June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, Join Levin & Perconti by Going Purple

Today, more than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. In Illinois, more than 230,000 are battling the disease. When someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, they will require more care, patience, and support as they grow older. The emotional burden and financial costs are overwhelming on those diagnosed, their caregivers, long-term care workers, and even the nation’s health care system. The Alzheimer’s Association reports that in 2021, Alzheimer’s and other dementias will cost the nation $355 billion. And by 2050, costs could rise as high as $1.1 trillion.

As much as 75% of those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s will eventually become entirely dependent on someone else to care for them. At times, this support can only be found in a facility such as a nursing home or memory care center. Unfortunately, our experience has shown us that Alzheimer’s residents can be too easily ignored, abused, or neglected within these homes.

After Stroke, Nursing Home Residents Need Extra Support

Published on: May 27, 2021 | Levin & Perconti

Nursing Home Residents Require Additional Rehabilitative Care After Suffering from a Stroke

If someone living in a nursing home has a stroke, they should be treated in an inpatient rehabilitation facility rather than remain in the nursing home. The resident may need intensive, multidisciplinary treatment, and initial rehabilitation should take place in a facility equipped with the appropriate care staff. Advanced specialty care is especially needed if negligent nursing home workers missed the early signs of stroke in a resident, causing a delay in treatment. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders explains the types of strokes most common to nursing home patients.

Cerebral Hemorrhage: Caused by the sudden rupture of an artery in the brain, blood spills out and compresses brain structures. Approximately 20% of strokes are caused by bleeding. Preventable falls may be behind a cerebral hemorrhage.

Advocating For Older Americans and Supporting Post-Pandemic Relief

Published on: May 25, 2021 | Levin & Perconti

After A Disastrous 2020, Please Make Time to Recognize Older Adult Communities

People age 65 and older represent around 16% of the population but are expected to grow to be 21.6% of the population by 2040. And in each community, these older adults will remain a key source of importance – even when they become vulnerable and rely on others for their daily activities and care. In the past year, we’ve seen this time and again in aging communities across Chicago and throughout Illinois as friends, neighbors, and families have found new ways to support each other. Through these experiences, successes, and difficulties, older Americans have built resilience that helps them face new challenges. When communities tap into this, they become stronger too.

Each May, the Administration for Community Living leads the celebration of Older Americans Month (OAM). This year’s theme is Communities of Strength, recognizing the vital role older adults play in fostering the connection and engagement that build strong, resilient communities.