Illinois Nursing Homes House More Mentally Ill Patients Under Age 65 than Long-Term Care Facilities in Other US States
The Associated Press says that out of all the US states, the state of Illinois has the most number of mentally ill patients under age 65 living in its nursing homes. In 2007, there were 12,736 mentally ill young adults and middle aged residents residing in Illinois nursing homes. One reason there are so many mental patients in Illinois long-term care facilities is because the state has closed down seven state-run mental hospitals since 1980. This only left 1,480 public hospital beds, which is why so many of these patients are now living in nursing homes.
However, placing younger, stronger mentally ill patients with elderly ones can sometimes lead to deadly results, especially if a younger patient is suffering from bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or depression and the older resident is physically weaker. For example, in one fatal nursing home incident, a 77-year-old Alzheimer’s patient was murdered while in his nursing home bed when his roommate smashed his face with a clock radio. The man who killed him was a mentally ill patient who was 30 years younger than him.
In an Illinois nursing home sexual assault incident, a young adult patient with bipolar disorder was charged with raping a 69-year-old female nursing home resident. An investigation found that the Elgin nursing home knew about his violent history yet failed to properly supervise him.
Unfortunately, this continues to be a risk that older nursing home residents face when placed in homes with younger patients that are suffering from serious mental illnesses. 9% of the 1.4 million nursing home residents living in the US are middle age and younger mentally ill patients. Last year, there were close to 125,000 mentally ill patients younger than age 65 living in US long-term care facilities—that’s 41% more than in 2002. Yet the government is currently not keeping track of how many younger mentally ill patients have harmed elderly nursing home residents.
Illinois nursing homes are supposed to protect all of their residents from becoming the victims of violent crimes. They are also supposed to make sure that each of their residents get the proper, specific care that they need. Failure to do either can be grounds for an Illinois nursing home abuse or neglect lawsuit.
Ill. has most mentally ill in nursing homes, STLToday.com/Associated Press, March 19, 2009
Nursing home patients endangered by mentally ill, Daily Herald, March 19, 2009
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Nursing Homes in Illinois
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