Lawsuit filed against nursing home and staff

Nursing home residents in New Mexico are supposed to have their needs met by a professional staff. However, some facilities here and in other states are seriously lacking in that capacity. For example, a 91-year-old woman was actively taunted by staff members at The Abington of Glenview Nursing & Rehab Center in Chicago. The staff recorded a video of a hospital gown being presented to the resident who had dementia. This occurred even though they knew the woman didn’t like gowns.

Although the woman was removed from the facility, she was scared of being abused at another nursing home. Therefore, the family had to hire someone to watch over her. After a police investigation, a 20-year-old and 21-year-old who worked at the center were charged with disorderly conduct and ordered to return to court in August 2019. One of the aides said that the incident was nothing more than a game, but that individual acknowledged that it was wrong to have treated the resident poorly.

The two were suspended for six days while the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) conducted an investigation. However, it said that the allegations against the staff members were unsubstantiated. The victim’s family filed a civil suit in Cook County Circuit Court and named the staff members as well as the nursing home as defendants in the case.

Those who experience mental or physical abuse while in a nursing home or other care facility may be entitled to compensation. In some cases, the victim’s family could take action on the victim’s behalf. Compensation may pay for the cost of medical bills or other damages incurred as a result of the abuse. An attorney could review a case to determine what steps to take toward resolving a matter.