Cook County Nursing Home Negligence?: Palos Park Nursing Home Residents Allegedly Robbed by Men Posing as Teens
Two men accused of robbing seniors at a Palos Park nursing home reportedly posed as high school teenagers to commit their theft crimes. One of the suspects, 21-year-old Carol Stream resident Jay Taylor, is charged with two felony counts of forgery. Police arrested the man referred to as Taylor’s accomplice, 21-year-old Sal Auditore, outside the state on an unrelated burglary charge.
According to the authorities, the two men pretended to be students working on projects to get their elderly targets to trust them. When talking to the nursing home residents about the project, one of the men would request to use the bathrooms. He would then go off to steal credit cards, money, checks, and other items. The Cook County Sheriff’s office is trying to determine whether there are more victims.
Cook County nursing homes are responsible for making sure that their premise is safe and that violent and theft crimes to not happen on the grounds or at the facility. This includes making sure there is adequate security on the premise, that all visitors are identified and accounted for, and that doors into the facility are properly secured. If the negligence, carelessness, or recklessness by workers or facility owners allows a crime to be committed and a patient is hurt or suffers other damages as a result, the assisted living facility can be held liable for Chicago nursing home negligence.
Unfortunately there are those who continue to prey on the elderly, the sick, and the mentally frail because they are considered easy targets for theft and fraud crimes. In many instances, it is a caregiver or someone else entrusted with the elderly person’s care who commits elder financial abuse or theft.
2nd man arrested in Palos thefts, Southtown Star, August 5, 2010
Police: Men posed as high school students, stole from seniors, Chicago Sun-Times, August 2, 2010
Related Web Resources:
Theft in Nursing Home, Elder Care Rights
Related Web Resources:
Illinois (IL) Nursing Homes / Skilled Care Facilities by County, CarePathways
