An 84-year-old resident with dementia was the victim of verbal nursing home abuse at the Heritage Health Nursing Home in Carlinville, Illinois. In addition to the verbal abuse, the man was also kept in involuntary seclusion (the nursing home equivalent of solitary confinement).
According to the investigation by the Illinois Department of Public Health, several employees of Heritage Health heard a Certified Nurses Aide (CNA) use foul and aggressive language towards the elderly resident. The same CNA then barricaded the resident in his room, using heavy equipment used for transferring residents to prevent his door from opening.
The CNA identified in the reports denied the charges. According to her, she raised her voice because the man was hard of hearing. She blockaded him inside his room because there was a spill outside his door, and she didn’t want him to slip on it until it had been cleaned.
At my law offices, our Chicago nursing home abuse lawyers offer a free and confidential case evaluation to anyone who feels their loved one may have been the victim of nursing home abuse or nursing home neglect in an Illinois nursing home. Often, during an initial consultation, I’m asked by the potential client whether a lawyer is really necessary. This case is an example of why a lawyer is almost always necessary.
Proving nursing home abuse or nursing home neglect is very difficult. All of the odds are stacked against the victim. Witnesses are rare in nursing home abuse and nursing home neglect cases. Victims, often with a history of memory problems, are almost always thought to be imagining things.
Most cases of nursing home abuse and nursing home neglect are much more serious than sharp words and confinement to a bedroom, although both of these incidents are serious breaches of professionalism, and they could easily be just part of what actually happened.
Our nursing home lawyers can conduct in-depth investigations that inexperienced family members cannot. By examining health records, timesheets, and conducting interviews, an experienced nursing home attorney can often gain a greater understanding and insight into a potential nursing home neglect lawsuit.
If you have a loved one whom you feel has been abused or neglected in an Illinois nursing home, contact our Chicago nursing home lawyers for a free and confidential evaluation of your case.
Other blog posts of interest:
Failure to adequately report change in condition at Heritage Health in Carlinville