How The Law Protects Elders Against Nursing Home Neglect

Nursing home abuse law, civil, criminal and regulatory; sets standards for the unlawful treatment of elderly residents of nursing homes. In the event the staff or administration of a nursing home fails to meet the law, the home can be subjected to numerous sanctions including the suspension of their license to operate and monetary awards to the elder. For those that have been abused or those who speak for them the best course of action is to hire an Illinois nursing home abuse lawyer and sue.

Signs of abuse:

There are two forms of abuse that may be present in a nursing home. The actual condition of the facility is one; the buildings and surroundings must be kept clean, safe and have all the necessary equipment. Elderly residents must be fed properly, have access to recreational activities and their medications must be given on time. There must be enough staff and they must be trained to undertake their assigned duties.

The other form of abuse involves the staff and administration. This type of abuse is physical, emotional, finacial or even sexual. This is where family is most important; if during visits they notice such things as unattended bed sores, gross weight loss, depression, etc this is an indication that an Illinois nursing home abuse lawyer be contacted.

Legal options:

Obviously any evidence of abuse should be immediately acted upon. If addressing the administration and staff does not result in a resolution of the problem the first thing is to report your concerns to the authorities.

Once the violation has been reported the elder or a family member has every right to engage the professional services of an Illinois nursing home abuse lawyer. The lawyer can monitor the situation and if there is no improvement then a lawsuit for negligence can be filed.

If you have reason to believe that your elderly loved one is not been cared for properly in the nursing home they are resident of you have the right to hire an Illinois nursing home lawyer and take action. You are invited to contact the Law Office of Scott D. DeSalvo, LLC.