After A Disastrous 2020, Please Make Time to Recognize Older Adult Communities
People age 65 and older represent around 16% of the population but are expected to grow to be 21.6% of the population by 2040. And in each community, these older adults will remain a key source of importance – even when they become vulnerable and rely on others for their daily activities and care. In the past year, we’ve seen this time and again in aging communities across Chicago and throughout Illinois as friends, neighbors, and families have found new ways to support each other. Through these experiences,
Continue Reading Advocating For Older Americans and Supporting Post-Pandemic Relief
Latest from Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog - Page 2
Did Your Loved One Wander From An Illinois Nursing Home?
With More Nursing Home Residents Vaccinated Against Coronavirus, Summer Season Calls Greater Attention to Wandering Risk
As Illinois continues to open up and more of the state’s population becomes vaccinated from COVID-19, including those over 65 living in skilled nursing facilities, it is expected that many individuals will want to spend time outdoors to help increase both activity and their mood. With that excitement should be a reminder that Chicago will also have its regular summer heatwaves and hot days – making outside temperatures dangerous for some. For the elderly who travel outdoors, take certain medications that alter the body’s
Continue Reading Did Your Loved One Wander From An Illinois Nursing Home?
What To Do If You See Neglected Residents On Social Media
Nursing Home Workers Should Report Social Media Posts That Violate Residents’ Rights
Nursing home employees are crucial in helping identify violators of the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act, including the reporting of other workers who choose to document and publish these unforgiveable acts on popular social media platforms. If you are aware of any harassing video, photo, story, or mention of resident abuse, invasion of resident privacy, or proof of neglect posted to a social networking site such as TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, or through a message, group text, or in an online community, there are several things
Continue Reading What To Do If You See Neglected Residents On Social Media
Should Illinois Nursing Homes Require Virtual Visit Options?
Illinois Lawmakers Introduce “COVID-19 Safety Net” Bill Until In-Person Visitation Resumes
There have been over 70,000 positive COVID-19 cases in Illinois nursing homes and over 10,300 virus-related deaths since the pandemic began. Sadly, nearly half of the state’s total death count has been nursing home residents. Many were never able to see their loved ones in person or say goodbye to them before they passed as almost all residents and their family members were prevented from visits for some time. Although the pause was likely necessary to prevent the further spread of the highly contagious virus, it also triggered concerns
Continue Reading Should Illinois Nursing Homes Require Virtual Visit Options?
10 Questions That Reveal A Nursing Home’s Staffing Issues
U.S. Nursing Homes Must Do More to Recruit, Train, and Retain CNAs
Understaffed nursing home teams have suffered disproportionately during the pandemic, especially certified nursing assistants (CNAs) who consist as much as 40% of a nursing home’s workforce. These employees support the daily needs of residents and long-term care patients, such as dressing, bathing, food preparation and eating, rehabilitation, hygiene, keeping communication with family members, socialization, and ambulating.
When CNAs do not have support or are treated poorly, it ultimately puts nursing home residents in harm’s way. Among many other oversights, call lights will be missed, hygiene becomes unhealthy among
Continue Reading 10 Questions That Reveal A Nursing Home’s Staffing Issues
Report Says Illinois Veterans’ Deaths Were Result Of Ultimate COVID Care Failures
Report Shows Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gravely Affected Resident Exposure to COVID-19 at LaSalle Nursing Home
The Illinois Department of Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) has released its investigative report identifying the causes behind the massive COVID-19 outbreak in the fall of 2020 at the state-run veterans’ Home in LaSalle. The long-awaited public report confirms what many of us already know and outlines the unforgiving failures that resulted in the untimely death of 36 people from coronavirus. Notes published by the OIG show that the facility did not implement the proper infection control policies to prevent the
Continue Reading Report Says Illinois Veterans’ Deaths Were Result Of Ultimate COVID Care Failures
Quincy Veterans Home Resident Suffers From Fall Injury
Preventable Fall Injury Highlighted in Survey at Illinois Veterans Home
In Quincy, the Illinois Veterans Home recently reported a resident fall incident on March 15, 2021, to the Illinois Department of Health (IDPH). According to a follow-up survey led by the state on March 27, 2021, a resident (R1) was injured from a fall after the facility failed to keep his environment safe and a walkway free of clutter. The resident told surveyors he had tripped on a cord and hit his head after falling to the floor. The man was transferred via ambulance to a local hospital to treat
Continue Reading Quincy Veterans Home Resident Suffers From Fall Injury
2021 List Of The Worst Illinois Nursing Homes
3 Illinois Nursing Homes Are Stuck on Government List for Ongoing Poor Quality Ratings and Care Citations
A recent effort sponsored by Pennsylvania senators Pat Toomey and his counterpart Bob Casey shows that the nation’s most troubled nursing homes require expanded support, specific to expanding the Special Focus Facility program and the list provided by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and state inspectors which publicly review ongoing nursing home care and identify quality issues.
According to CMS officials, the “Special Focus Facility” (SFF) program was created to identify nursing homes that are not meeting health care
Continue Reading 2021 List Of The Worst Illinois Nursing Homes
Learn More About Sexual Abuse in Illinois Nursing Homes
April is Sexual Abuse Awareness Month: How to Report Sexual Assault in Nursing Homes
Any touching, fondling, or form of sexual activity when the person cannot understand, is unwilling to consent, threatened, or physically forced is considered sexual abuse. And according to the Administration for Community Living, on average, there are over 1,000 complaints of sexual abuse in nursing homes each year. However, that average does not include sexual abuse by other residents — which means the actual rate of sexual abuse in nursing homes is likely to be even higher. Also, state and federal surveyors who lead inspections count
Continue Reading Learn More About Sexual Abuse in Illinois Nursing Homes
COVID Outbreak At Illinois Veterans Home Took Life of Korean War Vet
Levin & Perconti Attorneys Represent Family of Korean War Veteran Who Died During Veterans Home COVID-19 Outbreak
In a wrongful death lawsuit filed against The Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Levin & Perconti Law Firm is representing the estate of 90-year-old Korean War veteran Richard Cieski. In November 2020, Mr. Cieski was a resident who died after being exposed to a COVID-19 outbreak at the state-run veterans’ facility, located at 1015 Oconor Avenue in LaSalle, Illinois.
Levin & Perconti partner Michael Bonamarte said that Mr. Ciskei’s death could have been avoided had LaSalle taken appropriate precautions. That includes preventing breaks
Continue Reading COVID Outbreak At Illinois Veterans Home Took Life of Korean War Vet
Brookdale Senior Living Sued For Violating Patient Discharge Laws
The Nation’s Largest Senior Living Operator Sued for Wrongfully Discharging Patients
California’s attorney general, Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer, and local officials are suing ten of Brookdale Senior Living Inc.’s California-based skilled nursing facilities. The suit alleges that the nation’s largest senior living home operator had misled consumers on quality ratings and broke laws intended to protect patients when they are discharged from a facility if their Medicare coverage ended. The company is also said to have failed in giving the 30-day notice of transfers or discharges as required for all U.S. skilled nursing facilities.
“Brookdale does this so it
Continue Reading Brookdale Senior Living Sued For Violating Patient Discharge Laws
Patient Safety Book Highlights COVID Nursing Home Care
Medical Malpractice Briefing Includes Facts on U.S. Nursing Home Industry’s Failed Response To COVID
The 2021 update to the briefing book Medical Malpractice: By The Numbers, published by the Center for Justice & Democracy (CJ&D) at New York Law School, has been released and includes the latest statistics and research on issues related to medical malpractice, including long-term care wrongdoing. The 141-page volume includes over 400 linked footnotes and sources. It also discusses how laws could make it harder for patients and their families to place accountability on health care providers and nursing home owners in the case of
Continue Reading Patient Safety Book Highlights COVID Nursing Home Care
Nursing Assistants Carry Heaviest Load In Providing Quality Resident Care
COVID-19 Proved Just How Unsupported Nursing Assistants Are at U.S. Long-Term Care Facilities
According to the National Direct Care Workforce Resource Center, more than 600,000 nursing assistants provide personal care, assistance with daily activities, and clinical support for 1.4 million nursing home residents nationwide. In a revealing editorial by the Co-Founder & CEO of the National Association of Health Care Assistants (NAHCA), Lori Porter says the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic has been the darkest time for these workers, resulting in failures in care and protection against injuries, illness, and infectious diseases.
Continue Reading Nursing Assistants Carry Heaviest Load In Providing Quality Resident Care
The American Rescue Plan Could Improve U.S. Long-Term Care
Justice in Aging: How The American Rescue Plan Helps Older Adults
More than 45% of Americans over 65 have trouble meeting their basic needs. As a new administration works to provide COVID-19 relief to older adults, many of who are reliant on Medicaid funding for their health care, including long-term care, a fifth COVID-19 relief package, the American Rescue Plan (H.R. 1319), was signed into law totaling $1.9 trillion on Mar. 11, 2021.
The law is expected to significantly improve health care access and increase economic security for older adults due to the pandemic. Medicaid is the funder for most long-term care
Continue Reading The American Rescue Plan Could Improve U.S. Long-Term Care
Are Illinois Nursing Homes Vaccinating All Residents?
Older Adults in Illinois Long-Term Care Settings Should Be Vaccinated with Sense of Urgency
It’s been nearly three months since COVID-19 vaccines have been made available for Illinois nursing home residents and staff, making them a priority in the long line of vaccine recipients across the state. Officials from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) say approximately 414,900 doses total have been allocated to the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership Program for Illinois long-term care facilities. A total of 361,971 vaccines have been administered
Continue Reading Are Illinois Nursing Homes Vaccinating All Residents?
After A Private Nursing Home Acquisition, What Happens to Patient Care?
University of Chicago Researchers Say Privately Invested Nursing Homes Have Increased Death Rates Among Residents
Researchers at the University of Chicago, Penn, and NYU have been busy studying Medicare data covering more than 18,000 nursing home facilities nationwide. Their review includes about 1,700 facilities that were bought through private equity from 2000 to 2017. Total private equity investment in U.S. nursing homes went from $5 billion in 2000 to more than $100 billion in 2018.
The findings, published in a new working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research, showed that when private equity firms acquire nursing homes, about 1,000 more resident
Continue Reading After A Private Nursing Home Acquisition, What Happens to Patient Care?