The Chicago and South Chicago Elder Abuse Lawyers at Grazian and Volpe hope to help families and friends guard their loved ones from nursing home neglect and abuse.
Elder law is a complicated body of regulations in the State of Illinois and subject to constant court interpretation. As a plaintiff or the caretaker or loved one or an elderly and ill person, it is important to confer with experienced counsel whenever you suspect that the elderly patient is not be treated with care or that abuse is taking place in the hospital or nursing home where that person is a patient.
The Department of Public Health recently amended regulations to prevent abuse and neglect of patients in hospitals as well as to prevent patient injury. These amendments regarding abuse and neglect of patients focus on reporting requirements and hospital and department investigation. Injury prevention concentrates on patient care regarding minimum requirements for lifting, transferring, moving and repositioning patients. Many injuries to the elderly occur dropping when being moved or consist of bed sores sustained when a patient is not moved or turned regularly in their bed.
Hospital and Nursing home employees who have a “reasonable cause” to believe a patient has been subjected to abuse are under a duty to report that abuse to a hospital administrator. In addition, the new regulations also provide a safe harbor for those who report such violations, banning any retaliation against those who make good faith reports of suspected abuse.
Your Chicago Personal Injury Attorney and South Chicago Accident Lawyers at Grazian and Volpe are strong advocates for elder and patient rights and have handled many cases of nursing home neglect and injury. Please follow our blogs for updates on nursing home law and patient care issues as well as John Grazian on WCUI, You and Me in the Morning as he fields questions on these and other personal and workplace injuries.
