If it looks like neglect, families can seek compensation

healyscanlonveugelergannon • February 9, 2017

Many families in the Chicago area trust nursing homes to take care of their aging loved ones so that they can be protected and adequately comforted in the final years of their lives. However, as a recent  post  on this blog illustrated, sometimes nursing homes, either accidentally or for more nefarious reasons, betray this trust and leave their aged patients seriously injured or dead prematurely.

There are many  signs  and symptoms of nursing home neglect, and any one of them could mean that a family should consider, if possible, finding alternative care for their loved one and seeking compensation for that loved one’s injuries, or, in the most serious cases, a loved one’s death.

For example, if a patient experiences bedsores, the family should suspect neglect. Bedsores can range from mildly painful to breeding grounds for serious and potentially fatal infections. The only sure thing about bedsores is that they are readily preventable; all nursing home staff members have to do is move a bed-ridden patient from time to time.

Likewise, a family should begin wondering if they hear reports of a loved one with dementia, or really any patient with such condition, being able to leave the home and wander about confused. This is extremely dangerous since a confused person will not notice the hazards that an average person avoids every day without thinking, such as a body of water or heavy traffic. Of course, a family should also be on the lookout for signs of dehydration, poor nutrition and medical errors.

Our  law office  represents victims of nursing home abuse and their families. Aside from the most flagrant cases, even more “understandable” cases of negligence in a nursing home can be devastating for a victim and their loved ones. We understand this, and we have been able to get many of our clients the compensation they deserve.

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