Nursing home workers were caught on camera beating a 22-year-old autistic boy in a nursing home. The security camera was placed in the home after the family found bruises on the young man’s ears and legs. They even documented burns on his arms.
For years, the family took care of him at home. But while it’s a relatively simple matter to take care of a severely autistic boy, taking care of a severely autistic man can be entirely different.After accused of autistic abuse, the response from the nursing home was denial, as usual. Afterwards the family went to state investigators, but the investigators were unable to prove the injuries were caused by abuse. As is almost always the case, it was only after the family installed a camera in the patient’s room that they were able to prove the abuse.When you hear the phrase “nursing home resident” you probably imagine an elderly man or woman either in a walker or a wheelchair. It’s worthwhile to occasionally point out that nursing homes residents are extremely varied. In many states, qualifying for status as a Medicare and Medicaid nursing facility only requires 50% of the residents to be of legal retirement age.That means that while many residents who are in nursing homes are elderly, many are not. And nursing home aides and employees must be trained to care for a variety of residents.Placing a security camera in a nursing home room is a complicated issue. Privacy rights for both the individual in the home as well as the nursing home need to be addressed before the camera is placed.
If you have a loved one that you fear is being abused or neglected in an Illinois nursing home, don’t ignore your suspicion. You should contact my law offices for a free evaluation of your case.