Nursing home neglect hurts the very people who rely on others for support and care. When you put a loved one into a nursing home, the last thing you think will happen is that a nurse will become aggressive with them or their medications will be skipped because they are dubbed a “difficult patient.”
Your loved one deserves better than to be in a nursing home where their care is mediocre or worse. They should be cared for as though they’re family, even though the nurses and staff are only caretakers.
What can you do to make sure the nursing home you choose is a positive environment for your loved one?
If you are looking for the best nursing home in the area, start by looking at nursing homes’ ratings. Nursing homes in Illinois receive star ratings. You want to choose a nursing home with four or five stars, because they’re among the best in the state. Looking at the number of stars they received also gives you important information such as the reason for not obtaining 4 or 5 stars and if the nursing home has improved or is becoming worse.
Nursing homes should also be more than willing for friends and family members to visit. The staff should be friendly and interact with you. You should, overall, get a good feeling when you walk in and visit. If there are any signs of abuse, violence or there is simply a lack of workers, consider a different nursing home for your loved one.
If a loved one has been harmed by neglect or abuse in a nursing home or other assisted living facility, find out what legal options you have for seeking justice and compensation.
