A series of articles by the Chicago Tribune on the poor state of Illinois nursing homes has prompted public action, the latest of which is an increase in surprise inspections to local nursing homes by state officials. Surprise inspections are key in maintaining a safe and healthy environment for nursing…
On July 29, 2010, Governor Pat Quinn signed a landmark nursing home safety bill. The new legislation is designed to put in place additional safeguards to protect Illinois senior citizens living in nursing home facilities from harm or nursing home abuse. One of these provisions under the new Illinois nursing…
An Illinois nursing home abuse lawsuit was recently the subject of a review by the Illinois Appellate Court; Peterson v. Residential Alternatives of Illinois, Inc., No. 3-09-0743. The court reviewed whether the Illinois nursing home had the right to demand the decedent’s estate arbitrate its two-count complaint claiming a wrongful…
The Illinois Appellate Court recently considered issues of punitive damages under the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act in an ongoing Illinois nursing home abuse case, Vincent v. Alden-Park-Strathmoor, Inc., No. 2-09-065 (April 7, 2010). The court rejected plaintiff’s argument that punitive damages could be recovered in a survival action under…
A recent Illinois nursing home negligence settlement highlights one of the biggest problems plaguing nursing home residents – inadequate skin care. Many nursing home residents are bedridden and require careful monitoring and stringent skin care plans in order to avoid developing skin ulcers, which if untreated can lead to infection…
In an age when reports of nursing home abuse are becoming all too common, picking a nursing home for an elderly relative is never an easy task. A recent book, Taking Charge: Good Medical Care for the Elderly and How To Get It, makes the process a little easier by…
One out of every three Americans 65 years or older will suffer injuries as a result of a fall. According to the Illinois-based Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, falls are the leading causes of injury among senior citizens with death from falls on the rise since 2000. Approximately 250,000 hip fractures…
Like nursing homes nationwide, nursing homes in Illinois are not devoid of elder abuse. However, a recent series of articles published by the Chicago Tribune has highlighted a growing trend among Illinois nursing homes that admit dangerous residents. According to the articles, Illinois nursing home residents are increasingly found to…
As my dad used to always say, “it’s no fun getting old,” something that baby boomers are discovering as they begin to reach their golden years. More and more baby boomers are settling into nursing homes and are looking to make a claim on the long-term care insurance that many…
A recent Missouri Supreme Court case ruled that a nursing home cannot enforce a mandatory arbitration clause against a former resident’s children even if an arbitration agreement with the nursing home had been signed. The court found that “the plaintiff in a wrongful death action is not bound by an…