Some people refer to group homes as an adult version of a foster care or personal care home. For the elderly or the infirm, this is an alternative to housing at an assisted living facility or a nursing home with medical supervision. The concept of a group home is to make residents feel more like they are living in their own home rather than in the institutional feeling of a nursing facility or long-term health facility or an assisted living place.
The group homes are disadvantaged because they are not necessarily run by trained professionals. They can be run by individuals that are more concerned in receiving compensation than they are in making sure the residents are cared for in a healthy and safe manner. Some of the operators of Illinois group homes may not be complying with Illinois law that regulates these facilities. Although a group home may be suitable for some, it may not be the solution for the specific needs of an individual. Perhaps your loved one, a family member, spouse or relative has cognitive deficiencies, has a mobility handicap or an illness that requires strict compliance with fall protection, then in those cases a group home may not be compatible to those specific needs.
Usually group homes are for the elderly and for those who have a mental disability, those with drug or alcohol dependency or other infirmities that require support for daily living. Group homes do not provide medical care as most would find in assisted living facilities, long-term healthcare facilities and most nursing homes.
Another disadvantage of group homes is that there is little in the way of state and federal regulations for these smaller facilities. Group homes must obtain a license and follow the rules of larger facilities, but because they have many less residents, making sure that the group homes are following the rules and regulations is problematic. Inspections of group homes are much less frequent than state regulators reviewing the operations of nursing homes in Illinois.
It is not that uncommon for residents of group homes to be abused in some of the same ways that nursing home residents are abused whether it is physical, emotional, financial, sexual or simply subjecting residents to greater chance of injury because of poor training of personnel, lack of personnel or just ordinary negligence or neglect.
As is the case in nursing homes, family members, friends and loved ones must be proactive for those who are housed in group homes. What that means is that regular visits are imperative. Loved ones should make sure that the resident is being cared for properly, given the correct medicine, protected from abuse, that their medications are regularly given and that their hygiene and nutrition is at the highest possible levels.
In group home settings, just like in other nursing home-like facilities there are occasions where residents are neglected, abused or harmed. Group homes as is often the case with some nursing homes are understaffed, staffed with incompetent personnel, house individuals who are in need of much greater medical care than is available or conditions give rise to incidences of general neglect to group home’s residents. It is inexcusable to permit group home operators to run their businesses in such a way that exposes the vulnerable residents to the neglect that leads to their preventable injury or in the extreme causes their untimely deaths.
If you or a loved one has been suffering, has been injured or has died as a result of nursing home abuse or group home neglect, contact Kreisman Law Offices.
Robert Kreisman of Kreisman Law Offices has been handling Chicago and Illinois group home negligence cases and nursing home abuse cases for more than 40 years. Kreisman Law Offices has prevailed in trials and settlements in Chicago, Illinois and surrounding communities and has successfully resolved cases for those injured or abused in group homes and nursing homes for these many years.
With our years of experience in trying and settling nursing home abuse cases, Kreisman Law Offices provides the best possible services to our clients and have achieved unsurpassed results. Our service is unmatched. Please call us 24 hours a day at 312.346.0045 or toll free 800.583.8002 for a free and immediate consultation, or complete a contact form online.