Chicago Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog

The Illinois Senate’s public health and human services committee will hold a hearing on November 5 on ways to improve safety at nursing home homes throughout the state. The hearing is in response to the Chicago Tribune’s reports exposing the dangers elderly nursing home residents face when they are housed with mentally ill felons. The Chicago newspaper reported on incomplete criminal background checks, low staffing levels, and deficiencies in reporting violent crimes.

The heads of the departments of aging, public health, human services, and health care and family services, in addition to industry groups and elder advocates, are expected to speak at the hearing.

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn recently formed the Nursing Home Safety Task Force. The task force’s job is to figure out how to better regulate assisted living facilities so that its patients are protected from nursing home resident violence. Also, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is calling for improved criminal background checks of patients and more nursing home inspections.

Our Chicago nursing home abuse law firm welcomes any changes to nursing home regulation that could protect residents from becoming the victims of violent crimes committed by other patients, nursing home workers, visitors, or intruders. It's bad enough that nursing home patients are vulnerable to nursing home abuse and neglect from staffers. Now they have to worry about becoming the victims of nursing home patient violence. This is a problem that must be addressed immediately!

While mentally ill nursing home patients are entitled to the proper care, it is important that the necessary steps are taken to determine whether a prospective resident might be a danger to themselves or others—especially of he or she already has a violent criminal past. Conducting full background checks will allow a nursing home to assess the degree of danger a patient might pose so that steps can be taken to keep them away from other patients or tougher security/supervisory measures can be implemented.

State Senate hearing to examine nursing home safety, Chicago Tribune, October 12, 2009

Task force targets violence in Ill. nursing homes, AP/Google, October 9, 2009

Illinois Nursing Homes Mix Seniors And Mentally Ill Patients, Some Criminals, Medical News, September 30, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Nursing homes in Illinois

Tribune Watchdog: Compromised Care, Chicago Tribune