Man Files Cook County Nursing Home Negligence Lawsuit Over Patient Violence
In Illinois, nursing home patient Anthony Gales is suing Burnham Healthcare Properties for nursing home negligence. He is seeking over $50,000 in damages.
In his Cook County nursing home neglect lawsuit, Gales says that on August 17, 2008, another patient kicked him, which caused him to fall from his wheelchair and fracture his leg. Gales alleges that the Burnham, Illinois assisted living facility knew that his attacker had a history of acting violently.
The plaintiff claims that the Cook County nursing home failed to properly treat his injuries in a timely fashion and did not properly supervise the facility’s residents.
Gales’s Illinois nursing home lawsuit comes at a time when lawmakers are taking steps to tackle the issue of violence between residents. In the past, the issue of nursing home abuse tended to focus on abusive or neglectful acts committed by nursing home workers that abused their authority over sick or frail residents. Now, there is growing concern that nursing home residents can also be vulnerable to other patients who may have violent streaks, serious criminal records, and/or may be mentally ill and are not always aware of their actions.
Illinois nursing homes are responsible for supervising all staffers and residents and for keeping their patients safe. This includes conducting background checks of residents and employee candidates to make sure they are not a potential threat to others and closely supervising “high risk” patients or keeping them away from other residents.
Just this January, a 69-year-old female resident was raped by Christopher Shelton, a 21-year-old patient at an Elgin, Illinois nursing home. Shelton had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder with aggression and was a convicted felon.
Elderly and sick patients stay at nursing homes because they need medical care and supervision and protection. An assisted living facility’s failure to provide that care and protection can be grounds for an Illinois nursing home negligence lawsuit.
Man 'kicked' from wheelchair sues nursing home, Southtown Star, October 16, 2009
Related Web Resources:
Illinois Nursing Homes, Illinois Department of Public Health
Compromised Care, Chicago Tribune
