Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect in Illinois

There are over 660 nursing homes in Illinois that are designed to provide a caring environment for senior citizens. However, nursing home abuse and neglect are all too common across the state, often putting the well-being of residents at risk.

Nursing home abuse can take many forms, including:

• Physical abuse: Violence or unnecessary force against a resident can result in injuries and leave them feeling scared or unsafe within the facility.
• Elder neglect: If staff members fail to meet a resident's basic needs, like providing them with proper nutrition or hygiene assistance, it may be considered neglect. This lack of care can lead to physical and mental decline.
• Sexual abuse: Inappropriate sexual contact between a staff member and a resident may result in injuries, infections, and emotional trauma.

Illinois ranks 40 out of all 50 states for nursing home safety and quality, according to AARP. The rankings are based on factors like staffing levels, pressure sore rates, and inappropriate antipsychotic drug use.

Our Illinois nursing home abuse lawyers have the resources and experience necessary to stand up to the facilities responsible for your loved one’s injuries and seek justice on their behalf.

Signs of Abuse in Illinois Nursing Homes

Reports have raised concerns about the quality of care in Illinois nursing homes. Nearly 40% of facilities in the state have serious deficiencies believed to place residents in immediate danger, while 93% have been cited for infection-related deficiencies, according to ProPublica.

Because problems like understaffing or poor infection control can put vulnerable residents at risk, families should stay alert for warning signs of abuse or neglect. Changes in a loved one’s physical health or emotional well-being may signal that something is wrong.

Signs of abuse in Illinois nursing homes can include:

• Bedsores or pressure ulcers
• Behavioral changes, like acting withdrawn or agitated
• Dehydration or malnutrition
• Poor hygiene and unsanitary living conditions
• Unaddressed medical issues
• Unexplained injuries, like cuts, bruises, or broken bones
• Weight loss

If you suspect that your loved one is experiencing nursing home abuse, it's important to take action immediately. You can report the abuse to the facility’s administration, a long-term care ombudsman, or the Illinois Department of Public Health.

At Sokolove Law, our nursing home neglect attorneys in Illinois can also help you take steps to protect your family member and hold those responsible for their suffering accountable.

Who Can an Illinois Nursing Home Lawyer Help?

By getting help from our nursing home abuse lawyers in Illinois, you may be able to secure the compensation needed to relocate yourself or a loved one to a safer environment that can provide the care you deserve.

You may be able to work with an Illinois nursing home lawyer if:

• You experienced abuse or neglect at a nursing home or long-term care facility
• You’re the immediate family member or estate representative of an elder abuse victim

If your family member passed away due to suspected nursing home abuse or neglect, you may still be able to take legal action by filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the facility where they lived.

How to File an Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuit

At Sokolove Law, our attorneys strive to make filing an Illinois nursing home abuse lawsuit as stress-free as possible. We can handle all of the legal legwork for you, so you can focus on supporting your loved one through this challenging time.

In general, our Illinois nursing home abuse lawyers can:

• Provide you with a free case review to determine if you may be eligible to take legal action against those responsible for your loved one’s suffering
• Gather evidence like medical records, witness testimony, and more to prove neglect or abuse took place and that the staff or nursing home was responsible
• File your nursing home abuse lawsuit before any legal deadlines pass
• Negotiate an elder abuse settlement with the defendant(s), which may allow you to receive compensation without going to court

If a settlement is unable to be reached, our nursing home neglect attorneys in Illinois are prepared to present your case in court and fight for a verdict on your behalf.

Our Past Illinois Nursing Home Settlements

We’ve secured over $327 Million for victims of nursing home abuse and their families nationwide. While the average nursing home abuse settlement is around $400,000, we've recovered much higher payouts for many clients.

Some of our past nursing home abuse settlements and verdicts include:

• $1.2 Million for a Chicago nursing home resident who suffered severe bedsores and kidney infection from neglect
• $2 Million to the family of a woman who passed away after her catheter wasn’t changed and became infected
• $1.5 Million for a nursing home resident with stage 4 bedsores
• $1.35 Million to a patient who sustained a shoulder injury in a care facility
• $1.11 Million for a woman who suffered a heart attack
• $525,000 to a Hazel Crest woman whose mother was hospitalized after developing stage 4 bedsores and sepsis
• $500,000 for a Rantoul man whose wife suffered injuries from nursing home abuse

Compensation from a nursing home abuse lawsuit in Illinois can help pay for your loved one’s transfer to a safer facility, medical bills, funeral expenses, and more.

Nursing home abuse case values will vary depending on the unique details of each case, but our experienced lawyers know how to gather the evidence necessary to maximize compensation.

While there’s never a guarantee of results, our Illinois elder abuse lawyers will fight hard to get you everything you’re entitled to.

Illinois Nursing Home Statute of Limitations

A state law in Illinois known as the statute of limitations gives families a limited amount of time to file a nursing home abuse lawsuit.

The Illinois nursing home abuse statute of limitations is 2 years after a loved one’s injury or death, according to 735 ILCS 5/13-202.

If you fail to act before this deadline passes, you may miss your chance to take legal action for your loved one’s suffering.

Types of Illinois Nursing Home Lawyers

At Sokolove Law, our Illinois nursing home lawyers can help injured residents and the families of those harmed by abuse, neglect, or unsafe conditions seek justice.

Nursing homes are meant to provide care, supervision, and a safe living environment. When facilities fail to meet these basic responsibilities, residents can suffer a wide range of serious and sometimes life-threatening injuries.

We can handle cases involving: 

• Physical abuse
• Neglect
• Bedsores or pressure wounds
• Accidental injuries
• Chemical restraints
• Falls
• Infections or sepsis
• Malnutrition and dehydration
• Medical malpractice
• Medication errors
• Sexual abuse
• Wrongful deaths

Find out more about the types of cases our Illinois nursing home injury lawyers may be able to help with.

Illinois Nursing Home Physical Abuse Lawyer

Physical abuse in nursing homes is far more common than many families realize, with one study finding that approximately 45% of nursing home residents have experienced abuse.

Physical abuse can result in visible injuries like bruises, cuts, or fractures. In some cases, abuse may also cause emotional distress and behavioral changes.

Physical abuse of nursing home residents can include: 

• Hitting
• Improper or excessive use of physical restraints
• Kicking
• Punching
• Rough handling
• Shoving
• Slapping

If your loved one has unexplained injuries, shows sudden changes in behavior, or seems fearful of staff, contact our Illinois nursing home physical abuse lawyers. We may be able to help you hold abusive staff or facilities accountable.

Illinois Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer

Neglect occurs when nursing home staff fail to provide basic care to residents, putting them at risk of serious harm. In a survey of more than 2,000 nursing home residents, 95% reported experiencing neglect or witnessing neglect.

When negligence in a nursing home leads to preventable injuries, worsening medical conditions, and unnecessary pain, then an Illinois nursing home neglect lawyer may be able to help those affected take legal action.

Common signs of neglect may include:

• Malnutrition or dehydration
• Poor hygiene
• Pressure wounds
• Unsanitary living conditions
• Untreated medical issues

Illinois nursing homes provide 37% fewer care hours than their own resident assessments say are needed — the largest staffing gap of any state in the country, according to the Long Term Care Community Coalition.

By working with an Illinois nursing home negligence lawyer, you can pursue compensation for your loved one’s medical bills and the cost of transferring them to a facility that can provide the level of care they deserve.

Illinois Nursing Home Bedsores Lawyer

Nursing home staff are trained to regularly reposition residents to prevent bedsores from forming, and to treat the wounds promptly when they do occur. Without proper care, these sores can worsen quickly and lead to life-threatening infections.

Bedsores or pressure wounds may indicate nursing home neglect, especially when they reach stage 3 or stage 4.

An Illinois nursing home bedsore lawyer can help families hold negligent facilities accountable for failing to properly care for their loved one.

“Severe bedsores are one of the clearest signs of nursing home neglect. These wounds take time to form and are almost always preventable with routine care.”
– Ricky LeBlanc, Managing Attorney of Sokolove Law

Illinois Nursing Home Accident Lawyer

When facilities fail to maintain safe environments or provide proper supervision, accidents may occur that cause residents to suffer serious or even fatal injuries.

Nursing home accidents may involve:

• Burns from hot food or liquids
• Choking or aspiration during meals
• Cuts or lacerations from sharp objects or unsafe surroundings
• Elopement (wandering or leaving the facility unsupervised)
• Equipment-related injuries, including wheelchairs, walkers, bed rails, or lifts
• Slips, trips, and falls

An estimated 20,000 to 40,000 nursing home residents with cognitive issues elope each year, according to McKnight’s Senior Living. These residents may wander into traffic, fall, become lost outdoors in extreme temperatures, or encounter water hazards.

At Sokolove Law, our Illinois nursing home accident lawyers can look into the circumstances surrounding your loved one’s injuries and determine whether the facility’s negligence played a role.

Illinois Nursing Home Chemical Restraints Lawyer

Chemical restraints are medications used to control a nursing home resident’s behavior rather than to treat a legitimate medical condition, including powerful antipsychotics and sedatives.

More than 1 in 5 nursing home residents are given antipsychotic drugs, often without a clear medical justification, according to the Long-Term Care Community Coalition.

The use of chemical restraints may lead to: 

• Confusion or disorientation
• Falls
• Lethargy and drowsiness
• Loss of mobility
• Respiratory depression

An Illinois nursing home chemical restraints lawyer can help families investigate whether medications were improperly prescribed or administered and hold facilities accountable for prioritizing their convenience over resident safety.

Illinois Nursing Home Fall Lawyer

Every year, around half of all nursing home residents experience at least one fall, according to the National Library of Medicine. Falls can result in injuries that may dramatically impact an older adult’s health, independence, and quality of life.

Many nursing home falls are entirely preventable. Facilities are required to assess each resident’s fall risk, flag those who are high risk, and take the appropriate precautions to prevent avoidable harm.

Nursing home falls may occur when:

• Facilities are understaffed
• Residents have to wait too long for help and attempt to move on their own
• Fall risk assessments aren’t completed or updated
• Floors and hallways are cluttered or unsafe
• Medication side effects aren’t monitored, potentially leading to dizziness or weakness
• Mobility aids are broken or ill-fitting
• Residents aren’t properly supervised

Falls in nursing homes can lead to broken bones, head injuries, and even death. Elderly residents who are injured in a fall may experience a loss of mobility and a rapid decline in health.

Our Illinois nursing home fall lawyers can examine staffing records, care plans, fall risk assessments, incident reports, and medical records to determine whether a facility’s negligence may have played a role in your loved one’s fall.

Illinois Nursing Home Infection Lawyer

Nursing homes are required to follow strict infection control protocols, including proper catheter care, wound cleaning, and hand hygiene. When facilities fail to meet these standards, residents may be placed in harm’s way.

If an infection goes untreated, residents may develop sepsis, which can lead to organ failure or death. Our Illinois nursing home sepsis lawyers can help you determine your legal options after a preventable or poorly addressed infection.

Illinois Nursing Home Malnutrition Lawyer

Malnutrition and dehydration are serious and often overlooked forms of nursing home neglect. When staff fail to provide residents with adequate food, fluids, or assistance during meals, residents can quickly suffer severe health consequences.

Approximately 20% of nursing home residents are malnourished, with rates rising to more than 65% in some facilities, according to Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care.

Our Illinois nursing home dehydration lawyers can also help in cases where residents are not given enough water or assistance with drinking. Common warning signs of dehydration include dizziness, dry mouth or lips, dark or infrequent urine, fatigue, and confusion.

At Sokolove Law, our Illinois nursing home malnutrition lawyers know how to investigate whether a facility failed to meet basic care standards or ignored signs that a resident was not receiving proper nutrition or hydration. Let us fight for you.

Illinois Nursing Home Malpractice Lawyer

Nursing home malpractice occurs when medical professionals provide substandard care that leads to an injury or allows a health condition to worsen. This can include mistakes involving diagnosing, treating, or monitoring residents.

Because many nursing home residents often have complex medical needs, even small errors can quickly result in serious harm.

Medical malpractice in nursing homes may involve:

• Delayed response to medical emergencies
• Failure to diagnose or treat infections
• Improper wound or post-surgical care
• Lack of appropriate medical supervision
• Medication errors
• Mismanagement of chronic conditions

Nursing home malpractice is often linked to understaffing, inadequate training, or poor communication between staff.

An Illinois nursing home malpractice lawyer can review medical records, treatment notes, staffing logs, and expert opinions to determine whether medical negligence caused harm to a resident.

Illinois Nursing Home Medication Error Lawyer

Nursing home medication errors, including giving the wrong dose or medication, may have serious and potentially fatal consequences.

During a 3-month period, approximately 90% of residents experienced at least 1 medication error, according to BMC Geriatrics.

Medication errors can happen when staff:

• Administer too much or too little of a prescribed medication
• Dispense a medication intended for another resident
• Fail to monitor residents for adverse reactions or side effects
• Give medications at the wrong time
• Provide expired or improperly stored medications
• Skip or miss scheduled doses

By working with our experienced Illinois nursing home medication error lawyers, you can get help holding those responsible for your loved one’s suffering accountable.

Illinois Nursing Home Sexual Abuse Lawyer

Over 70% of elder sexual abuse cases occur in nursing homes, according to Minnesota’s Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care. Sexual abuse in nursing homes may be carried out by staff, visitors, or other residents.

Residents with cognitive impairments, like dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, may be at especially high risk because they may have difficulty recognizing or reporting the abuse.

If your loved one begins showing signs of sexual abuse, like emotional changes, unexplained injuries in sensitive areas, or new sexually transmitted infections (STIs), reach out to our Illinois nursing home sexual abuse lawyers for help.

Illinois Nursing Home Death Lawyer

While some nursing home residents pass away due to natural causes, others may die as a result of abuse or neglect within a care facility.

Residents who have experienced abuse have a 300% higher risk of death than those who have not, according to Gitnux.

Wrongful deaths in nursing homes may be linked to issues like: 

• Falls
• Improper use of medical equipment
• Malnutrition or dehydration
• Medication errors
• Poorly trained staff
• Preventable accidents
• Untreated infections

Our Illinois nursing home wrongful death lawyers can investigate the circumstances surrounding your loved one’s death and determine whether negligence contributed to their passing.

Those affected may be able to seek compensation for medical expenses, funeral and burial costs, and the emotional impact of losing a loved one.

Let Our Nursing Home Neglect Lawyers in Illinois Help

At Sokolove Law, our nursing home neglect lawyers in Illinois have decades of experience supporting those who have suffered abuse at the hands of their caregivers.

Our nursing home abuse law firm has recovered millions on behalf of Illinois patients and their families. There are no hourly fees or out-of-pocket costs to work with our team.

We’re committed to providing you with the personal attention your case deserves. We have the resources necessary to stand up to large long-term care facilities and make sure your loved one is protected.

Let us fight for the justice you deserve. Call (800) 995-1212 now or fill out our contact form to get a free, no-obligation case review.

Illinois Nursing Home Ratings

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) evaluates nursing homes in Illinois using a 5-star rating system. Scores are based on health inspections, staffing levels, and quality measures.

In some cases, CMS also designates facilities with chronic issues as Special Focus Facilities (SFFs), which are subject to additional oversight.

Illinois nursing homes on the SFF list include:

• Arcadia Care Peoria Heights
• Arcadia Care Watseka
• City View Multicare Center
• El Paso Rehabilitation and Health Care Center

Multiple other Illinois nursing homes have received a 1-star rating and been cited by CMS for resident abuse. Learn more about some of these facilities below.

Accolade Healthcare of Savoy

Accolade Healthcare of Savoy, located at 302 West Burwash in Savoy, is a for-profit facility operated by Accolade Healthcare.

CMS inspection reports documented failures to:

• Monitor and respond to severe weight loss in multiple residents, including one who lost nearly 23% of their body weight over 6 months with no care plan intervention, family notification, or physician-ordered supplements until inspectors raised the issue
• Obtain physician-ordered daily weights for residents with congestive heart failure and end-stage renal disease, with one resident missing 53 consecutive required weigh-ins and another confirming staff weighed her only sporadically
• Failing to detect a developing infection until the resident was hospitalized with a catheter-associated bloodstream infection requiring IV antibiotics
• Verify gastrostomy tube placement before administering medications, water flushes, and nutritional feedings to a tube-dependent resident, with the administering nurse acknowledging the contents could have entered the abdominal cavity rather than the stomach
• Administer prescribed medication to a newly admitted resident, leaving him without the medication for the first 10 days of his stay due to it not being available
• Follow infection control precautions for a resident on Enhanced Barrier Precautions, with a nurse observed administering tube feedings and medications without wearing a gown despite signage and protective equipment posted outside the room

CMS inspection findings like these can serve as important evidence, helping Illinois nursing home negligence attorneys identify patterns of inadequate care, staffing failures, and violations of resident safety standards.

Belhaven Nursing & Rehabilitation Center

Belhaven Nursing & Rehabilitation Center at 11401 South Oakley Avenue in Chicago is a 221-bed facility operated by Infinity Healthcare Consulting.

Findings from CMS inspections include failure to:

• Attend to an incontinent resident for nearly 2 hours despite his call light being on and his having explicitly told a nursing assistant he needed to be cleaned, with staff acknowledging the light was on but passing responsibility to others
• Properly position an indwelling urinary catheter drainage bag below the bladder for a resident with a history of urinary tract infections, with the bag found lying in the bed next to the resident — creating a direct risk of backflow and infection
• Store and label opened insulin pens and vials with open and discard dates for 4 diabetic residents or remove from the medication cart an insulin pen belonging to a resident who had already been discharged
• Obtain informed consent before administering antipsychotic and psychotropic medications to 4 severely cognitively impaired residents, with records showing the drugs were given on dozens of occasions across multiple months before any consent was obtained
• Conduct controlled substance counts at shift change on nursing units, with accountability records showing multiple shifts where neither the outgoing nor incoming nurse had signed the required documentation, affecting 12 residents on controlled medications
• Provide wheelchair cushions to residents at high and moderate risk for pressure ulcers

These documented deficiencies may provide valuable insight for Illinois nursing home abuse lawyers examining whether residents were exposed to unsafe conditions or substandard care.

Clark-Lindsey Village

Clark-Lindsey Village, a nursing home located at 101 West Windsor Road in Urbana, has been fined multiple times for shortcomings in care.

Inspectors cited the facility for failing to:

• Investigate or report an allegation of nursing home abuse after a resident with dementia was repeatedly saying "don't hurt me" during care
• Ensure a resident’s wheelchair was free of safety hazards, resulting in the resident sustaining skin tears measuring over 15 centimeters on one arm after the sharp metal bolts beneath the armrests lacerated both forearms
• Keep wheelchair-bound residents properly reclined, resulting in a resident falling forward out of the chair, hitting her head on the floor, and being sent to the emergency room
• Address constipation as a known adverse effect of opioid pain medication for a resident receiving twice-daily hydrocodone following a hip fracture, with the resident going 6 days without a bowel movement and no interventions initiated — despite the facility's own bowel protocol calling for treatment after 72 hours
• Store schedule II controlled medications in a properly double-locked refrigerator, and to remove expired stock medications from circulation

Inspection reports documenting repeated safety and care deficiencies may help support investigations by Illinois nursing home abuse attorneys into whether a facility failed to meet accepted standards of resident care.

Evercare of Lebanon

Evercare of Lebanon, a for-profit facility located at 1201 North Alton in Lebanon, is operated by Evercare Skilled Nursing.

Inspection reports noted failures to:

• Feed residents in a dignified manner, with staff referring to cognitively impaired residents who needed feeding assistance as "feeders" within earshot of those residents, and a separate resident observed being fed while a staff member stood over him rather than sitting at eye level as required by the facility's own meals policy
• Perform incontinence care in accordance with standard practice and facility policy for three residents, including failing to cleanse all required anatomical areas, failing to apply prescribed skin barrier cream, and using the same towel and soiled gloves across multiple care steps without changing them
• Ensure oxygen tubing and humidifier bottles were dated, changed on schedule, and filled with water for 3 oxygen-dependent residents
• Maintain registered nurse coverage for at least 8 consecutive hours a day, 7 days a week, with 9 days in a six-week period having no RN on duty
• Prevent the misappropriation of controlled substances belonging to 2 cognitively impaired dementia unit residents, with 30 doses of alprazolam going missing from each resident's supply over a 3-week period
• Implement and follow fall prevention interventions for 4 high-risk residents

Findings involving improper incontinence care, missing controlled medications, inadequate staffing coverage, and fall prevention failures are the kinds of concerns Illinois nursing home negligence attorneys often review when gathering evidence.

These are not the only Illinois nursing homes known for poor conditions or potential wrongdoing.

Illinois Nursing Home Lawyer FAQs