Everyone expects and deserves their loved ones to be treated with dignity when they are in a nursing home. Sometimes that does not happen and residents can be neglected or abused. If you need a nursing home abuse lawyer Quincy IL, contact our attorneys at Carlson Bier. Your justice can’t wait and we’ll invest the time and resources to pursue justice for you and your family.
The nursing home industry is one that is growing rapidly, and it’s important to know the rights that people living in a long term care facility have. The Illinois Nursing Home Act protects the rights of residents living in nursing homes and assisted living facilities by providing them with adequate care, safety, and hygiene. Unfortunately, abuse does happen in these facilities – there are no perfect health care providers out there. However, having a lawyer from Carlson Bier Associates, LLC, who knows how to spot signs of abuse can help you understand what legal options are available if something goes wrong. 312-622-2900
History of Elder Abuse Legislation
It wasn’t until 1965 that laws were passed to protect the elderly against mistreatment and neglect. In 1988, another law was passed that required nursing homes to report any suspected cases of abuse or neglect on residents over 65 years old who live there.
Then, in 1990, Congress passed the Nursing Home Reform Law (the Nursing Home Reform Amendments). This law required all nursing homes across America to meet certain standards when caring for their patients; if they didn’t follow these standards, then they could lose their license to operate and be shut down completely.
These requirements included: A safe environment with no hazards such as falling down stairs or tripping over objects that might cause injury or death, adequate staffing, properly cleaning food trays so germs do not spread easily throughout the facility, an organized chart system where all medications can be found easily, among other things.
In response to the growing number of cases involving nursing homes that were serving patients at an inadequate level of care or providing illegal activities within their walls, Illinois legislators passed Senate Bill 2511 with overwhelming support. This bill established several protections for nursing home residents including:
- A right to be informed about services offered by their facility
- A right to be informed about policies regarding billing practices
- A right not to be subject to unnecessary restraints or seclusion
At Carlson Bier, our nursing home abuse lawyer Quincy IL, is well versed in all state and federal regulations regarding long term care facilities and nursing homes. Our attorneys can help you and your family if there has been a violation that has resulted in abuse, neglect or wrongful death.
Nursing Home Facilities Must Have A High Standard of Care
Each resident in a long term care facility is entitled to quality of life care. Quality of life is a fundamental principle in which each resident must receive and the facility must provide the necessary care and services to attain or maintain the highest level of care according to their assessment and plan.
Some of the requirement to ensure that residents have quality of life include:
- Giving appropriate treatment and services
- Providing proper nutrition
- Maintaining proper grooming and personal hygiene
- Including enrichment activities to support their well being
- Staffing highly qualified professionals
In addition, the facility has to be designed and maintained to protect the health and safety of the residents as well as the caregivers. There are state and federal safety regulations related to medical and other emergencies. In addition, there are parameters for the resident’s rooms, common areas, dining facilities, and bathrooms.
These and many other guidelines are put into place to ensure that nursing home facilities are able to meet the needs of their residents. Although that is the case, there are still numerous reports and lawsuits related to neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and financial abuse and exploitation. If you need a nursing home abuse lawyer Quincy IL, the attorneys at Carlson Bier are here to help.
Contact a nursing home abuse lawyer Quincy IL to help you pursue justice
An experienced nursing home abuse lawyer Quincy IL, can help you to protect your rights and ensure that you get the compensation you deserve. If you or a loved one has been abused or neglected at a nursing home, it is important to take action as quickly as possible. Contact Carlson Bier today for a consultation and to pursue justice.
