Articles
State may end reliance on nursing homes for disabled adults
Nov 16th, 2011
By David Jackson, Tribune reporter 6:39 p.m. CDT, August 29, 2011 State officials on Monday moved a step closer to ending Illinois‘ long-standing reliance on large nursing facilities to house adults who have physical and mental disabilities. A proposed settlement to a class-action lawsuit was filed in federal court Monday evening. It would require state agencies to offer subsidized apartments to thousands of Cook County nursing home residents who can function independently and want to move out of the institutions. Before it becomes state policy, Monday’s settlement still requires court approval and a “fairness hearing” to consider the comments and objections of interested parties. But the agreement was hailed as a civil rights victory by advocates for low-income...
Read MoreState declines to investigate vast majority of hospital complaints
Nov 16th, 2011
Illinois officials didn’t look into 85 percent of the 560 hospital complaints received last year, even when the reports alleged violations such as patient abuse By Megan Twohey, Chicago Tribune reporter November 6, 2011 A patient at Harrisburg Medical Center complained to the state that a bacterial infection spreading through the hospital had already killed one person and that nurses and doctors did not wear protective gowns and gloves. How did Illinois officials respond? They declined to investigate. At Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital, a patient was pricked by dirty needles, prompting preventive treatment for HIV. State regulators chose not to pursue that case, too. They also took a pass on allegations that a staffer at Streamwood Behavioral Health Center assaulted a patient,...
Read MoreNursing home sexual violence: 86 Chicago cases since July 2007 — but only 1 arrest
Oct 16th, 2011
Rape allegations were reported in a quarter of city’s 119 nursing homes in those two and a half years, records show By David Jackson and Gary Marx, Tribune reporters January 26, 2010 Authorities have investigated at least 86 cases of sexual violence against elderly and disabled residents of Chicago nursing homes since July 2007, but only one of those cases resulted in an arrest, a Tribune investigation has found. Allegations of criminal sexual assault, or rape, were reported in a quarter of Chicago’s 119 nursing homes during those 2 1/2 years, government records show. State law requires nursing homes to notify police immediately when they receive an allegation of sexual violence or abuse. However, no police reports were filed in connection with at least nine alleged sexual...
Read MoreFactors That Lead To Nursing Home Abuse
Oct 7th, 2011
A problem that stems from the overworked staff of nursing homes all across the U.S., is the abuse and neglect of the patients who reside there. Nurses with too many patients to handle are usually burnt out and end up quitting at some point. This will often leave the nursing homes, which already suffer from being undermanned, even more short-staffed. The few that do remain are almost always tired and underpaid. Our elderly relatives or friends are usually put into nursing homes, because they are unable to take care of themselves in even the most basic of ways. A vast majority of them need help just getting out of bed. In addition to requiring this kind of special care, the elderly can often be moodier than your average patient. Most of them remember that they were capable caring for...
Read MoreNursing Home Malpractice A Horrifying Reality To Many
Sep 12th, 2011
Nursing home malpractice is a horrifying form of abuse that is far more widespread than the number of reported cases indicates. Negligence is often found in cases of untreated pain, starvation, and the appearance of bedsores, all of which are signs of poor care. While federal laws are in place that establish the minimum standards of care, approximately 30% of nursing homes across the United States remain guilty of patient abuse. Nursing home malpractice is commonly the result of under staffing and poor supervision of the facility staff, although there are cases that result from inexperienced or uncaring staff members. The negligence that results from any of these is considered a form of abuse, as poor care is not only physically and emotionally harmful, it can be fatal if it is allowed to...
Read MoreDecisions For Elderly Home Care
Sep 11th, 2011
In the 1930s President Roosevelt signed a bill into action for the elderly to begin receiving Social Security, those who were already registered into the homes for the indigent would not, be eligible for the payments. Soon after payments began for those who were eligible, homes began opening to supply better treatment to the older folks. The proprietors took the checks from the elderly to pay for their upkeep. In the fifties, the government stepped in and ordered that the homes were not to take the Social Security payments from the residents, leaving them with nothing. However, the care did not change, and the elderly fell at the mercy of the government. In the Sixties, a law was passed that prohibited the low level of care people were receiving in nursing homes. They also stopped the...
Read MoreEpidemic of Nursing Home Abuse Endangers Seniors
Jul 14th, 2011
This week, the New York Times reported that 90 percent of all nursing homes have been cited for violating federal health and safety standards. Even worse, 94 percent of all privately-owned facilities were cited for such violations. It is clear that nursing home abuse and neglect has become an epidemic, and anyone with a loved one in a nursing home needs to be aware of this issue. Nursing home residents rights are guaranteed by the federal 1987 Nursing Home Reform Law. The law requires nursing homes to promote and protect the rights of each resident?. Yet, as the New York Times recently made clear, nursing homes are not doing enough to protect their residents. The National Center on Elder Abuse estimates at least one in 20 nursing home patients has been the victim of negligence and or...
Read MoreSelecting A Nursing Home: How To Find The Right Long Term Care Facility
Jul 14th, 2011
The decision to place a loved one in a nursing home is often difficult, emotional, and not without misgivings. Unfortunately, once the decision has been made, the stress does not disappear. Choosing the right nursing home is of paramount importance, and with more than 16,100 nursing homes in the country, finding the right one is a daunting task. There is no magic formula for choosing the right long term care facility for a parent or grandparent, but following some basic steps can help make the task more manageable. Step 1: Be Prepared A large portion of nursing home admissions occur after a stay in the hospital, usually following an injury, surgery, or a medical scare. Because of this, you may only have 24-48 hours to find a nursing home. This is not enough time. Being prepared and aware...
Read MoreNursing Home Visitation Rights
Jul 12th, 2011
The federal law governing nursing home regulation is called the Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987. The Act says that the resident has the right and the facility must provide for immediate access to any resident by immediate family or other relatives of the resident, subject to the resident’s consent. Under the Act, visits by others are subject to “reasonable restrictions” and the resident’s consent. Consumers should note that the “reasonable restrictions” provision does not apply to immediate family and other relatives of the resident. The Act also says that the facility must provide “reasonable access” to individuals providing health, social, or legal services to the resident. These provisions of the law clearly support a resident’s right to have access to individuals of...
Read More