Chicago Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog

Federal officials say that since Sunday, they are no longer providing Medicaid funding to the Wincrest Nursing Center. The decision comes after federal and state investigators documented incidents of patient violence, alcohol and drug abuse, and other serious issues. That these problems exist at an assisted living facility is Chicago nursing home neglect.

The North Side facility is an 80-bed nursing home that mainly houses mentally ill patients. It could chose to stay open while waiting for a new buyer or re-entrance to the Medicaid system, but because it gets nearly 99% percent of its revenue from the federal government, it will likely have to shut down. Despite the cessation of funding, Medicaid will still give the nursing home money for some patients until they are relocated or for up to 30 days.

Other problems that inspectors found at the Chicago nursing home:
• Patient wandering
• Inadequate nursing care
• One resident went into the neighborhood and traded sexual favors for drugs.

While Wincrest has addressed some of the issues over the last several months, it has yet to resolve certain key problems. For example, some patients are still not getting the proper psychiatric services that they need.

In addition to actions taken by state and federal officials against a nursing home guilty of negligent nursing care, patients and their families may decide to sue for Chicago nursing home neglect especially if the inadequate nursing care, poor living conditions, and lack of supervision or security causes injuries or deaths.

Feds yank funding from North Side nursing home, Chicago Tribune, March 18, 2011

Federal government announces cut of Medicaid funds to Chicago nursing home, WQAD, March 19, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Nursing Homes, Medicare.gov

Chicago Nursing Homes

More Blog Posts:
Following Incidents of Chicago Nursing Home Abuse and Patient Violence, Somerset Place to Close by Friday, Chicago Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog, March 11, 2010

Evanston, Illinois Nursing Home Company Ordered to Close Another Assisted Living Facility Because of Poor Patient Care, Chicago Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog, March 21, 2010

Chicago Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers: Chronic Nursing Home Neglect at Facility Forces Residents to Seek Other Housing, Chicago Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog, May 27, 2009

Continue reading "Alleged Chicago Nursing Home Negligence Prompts Federal Authorities to Stop Giving Medicaid Funding to North Side Facility" »

According to panelists attending a Senate Aging Committee forum, with the number of dementia patients continuing to grow, overmedication is becoming a serious problem. They said that one reason overmedication occurs is that family members, caregivers, and nursing home workers can mistake patients' complaints about physical ailments for unruly or aggressive conduct. To manage the patient’s behavior, antipsychotic medication that the patient doesn’t actually need is administered. On that note, our Chicago nursing home abuse law firm wants to remind our readers that giving medication to a patient without valid cause is a negligent act.

Panelists at the forum recommended other non-pharmacologic ways to deal with aggressive or unruly dementia patients, including allowing the same nursing home staff to work with specific patients so there is a better understanding of each resident’s needs and personality, hands-on skill training for family members, personal counseling, and activities that are easier for dementia patients to engage in. A number of speakers noted that even though the topic of providing dementia patients with better care has been around for some time, not much action has been taken on a federal level.

However, a number of experts have also stepped forward to say that they don’t think that dementia patients are being overmedicated and that, in fact, they are receiving appropriate care to deal with their delusions and hallucinations. These experts say that the medications can prevent some dementia patients from becoming dangerous to themselves or others.

There are about 5 million people in the US suffering from some form of dementia. Regardless of whether or not a dementia patient needs medication to cope with his/her disease, a patient should never be overmedicated for any reason.

Overmedication is a form of Chicago nursing home abuse and can be used to control or unnecessarily sedate patients for the convenience of the staff. Giving an Illinois patient too much medication can increase their chances of becoming involved in a fall accident or engaging in behavior or actions that could be harmful to themselves and/or others.

Drugging of Dementia Patients Cited as Serious Problem, ABC News, December 9, 2010

Overmedication in the Nursing Home, The New York Times, January 11, 2010

Related Web Resources:
United States Special Committee on Aging

Dementia and Alzheimer's Care

Illinois Nursing Homes, Illinois Department of Public Health

Continue reading "Overmedication a Problem for Dementia Patients, Says Panel" »

U.S. District Judge William Hart, a Chicago federal judge, has approved an agreement that will allow thousands of mentally ill persons residing in Illinois nursing homes to transfer to community settings. He signed the 24-page order last week.

Now, steps can be taken so that officials will be able to offer approximately 4,300 mentally nursing home residents the chance to move out of assisted living facilities called institutions for mental diseases (IMDs) and into less expensive housing that will be better able to serve their needs.

The judge’s ruling is the final approval to a consent decree reached between a class of mentally ill nursing home patients and state authorities. The patients had filed a lawsuit claiming that federal law was being violated because they were not being placed in housing appropriate for their disabilities.

The chances could also prove beneficial to residents that are not mentally ill. Many mentally ill residents tend to be younger and physically stronger than the older, frailer residents that they reside with. There have been a disturbing number of incidents reported involving younger residents assaulting, molesting, or murdering other patients. Also, there are a significant number of mentally ill residents with felony records living in Illinois nursing homes.

Per the settlement, each IMD resident will be offered an evaluation to determine whether transferring to a less restrictive living environment would be to their benefit. Residents have the option of staying put at their current nursing home. For mentally ill patients that decide to avail of supportive housing, which will include group homes and subsidized apartments, substance-abuse programs, therapy, job and life-skills training, and case management will be offered to them.

If you think that your loved one may be a victim of Chicago nursing home violence, nursing home neglect, or nursing home abuse, contact our Chicago nursing home neglect law firm today.

Pact to decrease number of mentally ill in nursing homes, Chicago Tribune, September 30, 2010

Judge Approves Historic Agreement to Better Serve Individuals With Mental Illness in Illinois, ACLU Illinois/PR Newswire, September 30, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Williams v. Quinn Fact Sheet (PDF)

National Alliance on Mental Illness