The decision to place a loved one in a nursing home often comes during what is a very emotional time. It is often times not a decision made lightly, and those in Chicago who are facing such situations naturally want to see that their loved one receives the highest quality of care. Unfortunately, unscrupulous practices on the part of some nursing home staff can be considered abusive.

What are some forms of  nursing home abuse ? One type of abuse that may be most apparent is physical abuse. This includes not only striking a nursing home resident, but also giving the resident the wrong medication or improperly retraining the resident.

Sexual abuse also sometimes occurs in a nursing home setting. For example, nonconsensual physical contact, forced viewing of pornographic materials or sexual acts or forcing a resident to undress can be considered forms of sexual abuse.

Then there is verbal abuse and mental abuse. Verbal abuse includes intimidating, ridiculing or embarrassing a resident. Mental abuse includes isolating residents, ignoring residents or issuing nonverbal threats.

Naturally, the mere thought of nursing home abuse is upsetting, so if a Chicago resident believes his or her loved one is being abused, they may want to take legal action. First and foremost, if a resident of Chicago believes his or her loved one is the victim of nursing home abuse, he or she should report the incident to the nursing home facility administrator, who is obligated by law to perform an investigation into the incident. It may also help during times like these to retain legal counsel. Attorneys, such as those at Healy Scanlon Law Firm, can explain the legal obligations of nursing homes in Chicago and can also educate clients on the rights of nursing home residents. Nursing home abuse of any type should never be tolerated, so it is good to know that help is available in such situations.

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