Chicago, IL Nursing Home Injury Attorneys

Experienced Attorneys for Injuries Caused by Nursing Home Negligence in Chicago, Illinois

When families place loved ones in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, they expect that trained staff members will provide compassionate care, maintain a safe environment, and ensure that a person's needs are met. Unfortunately, this does not always happen, and some nursing home residents may suffer harm due to abuse or neglect. Issues such as understaffing, inadequate training, and failure to maintain a safe, clean facility can put the health and safety of residents at risk and lead to serious injuries.

The lawyers at Gallagher & Kosner Law can help families address situations where nursing home residents have been harmed by abuse or neglect in Chicago and the surrounding communities. We will investigate these cases to identify negligence, and we will take steps to hold negligent facilities accountable. We can help families obtain compensation for the harm a person has suffered while pushing for changes that will protect others from similar mistreatment.

Physical Abuse in Nursing Home Facilities

Staff members may intentionally inflict harm on nursing home residents through hitting, slapping, pushing, using improper restraints, or other forms of physical abuse. An aide who becomes frustrated while assisting a resident with dementia may roughly grab or shake them, leading to bruises, fractures, or head injuries.

Signs of physical abuse may include unexplained bruises in patterns suggesting that a person had been struck or grabbed roughly. Bone fractures, cuts and lacerations, burns, and signs of restraint such as rope marks on a person's wrists or ankles may also indicate that abuse has occurred.

The use of physical or chemical restraints without medical justification is a serious form of nursing home abuse. Staff members may sedate residents, tie them to chairs, or keep them confined in beds rather than providing appropriate supervision and care. These practices can create serious health risks, including circulation problems, pneumonia, and psychological trauma.

Emotional and Psychological Abuse

Verbal and emotional abuse against nursing home residents may include insults, threats, humiliation, intimidation, or isolation. Staff members may mock or belittle residents, yell at them, or threaten to withhold care. A resident with Alzheimer's disease who repeatedly asks questions may be told they are stupid or annoying rather than receiving patient, compassionate responses. These forms of abuse can lead to issues such as fear and distress.

Isolation as punishment can be a serious form of emotional abuse. Staff members may confine residents to their rooms, prevent them from participating in activities or social interaction, or refuse to allow visits from family members. These forms of abuse can cause psychological harm, and issues such as depression, anxiety, increased confusion, loss of appetite, sleep disturbances, and withdrawal from activities could lead to a decline in a person's physical and mental health.

Falls and Inadequate Supervision

Falls are some of the most common causes of injuries to nursing home residents. While some falls may be accidents, others may occur due to a facility's negligence. Understaffing may prevent residents from receiving assistance when transferring from beds to wheelchairs, using the bathroom, or walking through hallways. An elderly resident who does not receive the help they need may attempt to walk unassisted and fall, which could lead to hip fractures, head injuries, or other serious harm.

Environmental hazards such as wet floors, poor lighting, cluttered walkways, and broken handrails can also lead to falls. A nursing home must maintain a safe premises, and staff members should identify residents who need additional support or assistive devices. Failure to meet these requirements could put the safety of residents at risk.

Bedsores

Pressure ulcers, which are commonly called bedsores or pressure sores, can develop when nursing home residents remain in the same position for too long. Prolonged pressure on parts of the body such as the heels, hips, tailbone, and elbows can restrict blood flow, causing damage to the skin and other tissues. These wounds can progress if they are left untreated, potentially causing deep craters that can expose muscle and bone, which can lead to severe pain and the risk of life-threatening infections.

Bedsores are preventable when nursing home residents receive the proper care. Staff members should reposition residents regularly while providing the proper nutrition and hydration to maintain skin health. Advanced pressure ulcers are a sign of serious neglect, as these wounds do not develop overnight but progress over days and weeks.

Treatment for severe bedsores may involve wound care, antibiotics, and pain management. In some cases, surgery may be needed to remove dead tissue or close wounds. Some pressure ulcers will never fully heal, and they can lead to chronic pain and recurring infections that could affect a person's overall quality of life.

Malnutrition and Dehydration

Residents who do not receive adequate food and fluids may experience malnutrition and dehydration, which can seriously threaten their health. Understaffed facilities may not provide assistance to residents who cannot feed themselves. Some residents with dementia may forget to eat or drink, and staff members may fail to provide them with the assistance needed to ensure that they can maintain their health.

Malnutrition can lead to weight loss, weakness, fatigue, dizziness, and confusion. Dehydration can also lead to confusion and other health issues, such as low blood pressure. Both conditions can weaken a person's immune system, making them more susceptible to infections.

Nursing homes should monitor residents' food and fluid intake, track their weight, address swallowing difficulties, and ensure that the proper meals are provided. Failure to prevent malnutrition and dehydration is a form of negligence that can lead to serious harm that may threaten a patient's life.

Medication Errors and Lack of Medical Care

Nursing home residents rely on staff members to administer medications correctly and monitor for side effects or adverse reactions. Medication errors can occur when staff members provide residents with the wrong medications, administer drugs at incorrect dosages, provide medications at the wrong times, or fail to administer prescribed drugs at all. A resident whose blood pressure medication is not given consistently may suffer a stroke. Someone receiving double doses of insulin may experience dangerous drops in blood sugar.

When staff members have not received the proper training on managing complex medication regimens, errors can occur. Poor record-keeping systems or failures to verify the identities of residents before administering drugs can lead to mistakes that may have serious or fatal consequences.

Another serious form of neglect involves failing to address the medical needs of residents. Staff members may not recognize symptoms of infections, heart attacks, or strokes, or they may not call doctors when necessary or send residents to emergency rooms. A resident's condition may deteriorate because staff members did not recognize symptoms of a serious illness or failed to ensure that they received the proper treatment.

Infections

Nursing homes may have weakened immune systems or other health issues, and serious infections can be life-threatening. A facility will need to take the proper measures to prevent infections, including performing cleaning and sanitization, isolating contagious residents, and monitoring for outbreaks. If the proper procedures are not followed, infections can spread rapidly and cause residents to suffer harm.

Urinary tract infections, respiratory infections, skin infections, and contagious diseases like influenza and COVID-19 can put elderly nursing home residents at risk. Staff members who do not wash their hands when required, do not handle catheters or feeding tubes correctly, or fail to identify and isolate sick residents can create conditions where residents experience dangerous infections.

Contact Our Chicago, Illinois Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorneys

When abuse or neglect in a nursing home or assisted living facility has led to injuries, a family will need to determine what steps they can take to address the harm their loved one has suffered. The attorneys at Gallagher & Kosner Law can investigate these cases to identify negligence by a nursing home, and we will work to pursue justice for an injury victim. Contact our Chicago nursing home negligence lawyers at 312-910-5050 to set up a free consultation and learn how we can help hold a facility responsible for the harm a person has suffered.