Preventing Chicago Nursing Home Neglect and Patient Violence: Thousands of Mentally Ill Patients May Be Relocated to More Appropriate Facilities
Over the next five years, about 4,500 psychiatric patients may be moved out of Illinois nursing homes into supportive housing—which is good news for both mentally ill residents and the disabled and elderly people that are currently living together in assisted living facilities. The class-action settlement that would set this process in motion is expected to be filed by Monday.
If approved, the state would give mentally ill patient the choice of moving from an Illinois nursing homes to a community-based facility. This alternative arrangement lets mentally ill residents live independently while at the same time providing them access to the help that they need. ACLU of Illinois associate legal director Benjamin Wolf says the settlement will change the current system from one that institutionalizes people to one that actually gives people what they need. ACLU of Illinois filed the lawsuit in 2005.
In Cook County, Lake County, DuPage County, and Will County, our Illinois nursing home negligence law firm is dedicated to making sure that the victims of Chicago, Illinois nursing home neglect and patient violence are compensated for the harm they have suffered at the hands of abusive and neglectful nursing home workers and violent patients.
Not only is it important that an Illinois assisted living facility provide a resident with the nursing and medical care that he/she needs, but nursing home workers must protect a patient from harming themselves and/or others. It is fortunate that Governor Pat Quinn’s Nursing Home Safety Task Force is taking steps to provide better protections for nursing home residents. However, assisted living facilities must still make sure that they fulfill their responsibility to residents by giving them the proper care and taking steps to ensure that they don’t get hurt, sick, or die because nursing home workers were negligent.
New hope for Illinois’ mentally ill nursing-home residents, Chicago Tribune, March 15, 2010
Settlement is a sea change for care of the mentally ill, Chicago Sun-Times, March 16, 2010
Related Web Resources:
Governor Quinn's Nursing Home Safety Task Force
Compromised Care, Tribune Watchdog
Contact our Chicago nursing home neglect and abuse lawyers and request your free case evaluation.
