This Memory Care Community is facilitated by specially trained caregivers to provide hygiene and nursing assistants to men and women diagnosed with dementias including Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to providing 24-hour professional assistance, the staff also develops and implements effective Care Plans and customized services to meet the needs of their residents.
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC represent mistreated and abused residents living at Illinois long-term care centers like Arden Courts of Geneva.
Arden Courts of Geneva
This facility is a ‘for profit’ 60-certified-bed Center providing cares and services to residents of Geneva and Kane County, Illinois. The Sheltered Care Home is located at:
2388 Bricher Road
Geneva, IL 60134
(630) 262-3900
Geneva Long Term Care Home Resident Safety Concerns
Comprehensive research results can be viewed on the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH – ltc.dph.illinois.gov) nursing home database that details every health violation, safety concern, filed complaint and opened investigation. Many families use this information to determine the level of medical, health and hygiene care nursing homes in their community provide their residents. The Kane County abuse and neglect attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC have reviewed the deficiencies, concerns, and violations at every Sheltered Care Home in Illinois.
The Frustration of Dementia Behavior
Many families place a loved one in a nursing facility because communication becomes difficult and upsetting at home. In many situations, simple everyday speech can escalate into highly aggressive behavior within moments. Because of that, it is often decided to hand over hygiene assistance, nursing care and activities of daily living to the professional.
Physical and verbal aggression is typically triggered by an event or sensation that could be caused by physical discomfort, an unfamiliar situation or environmental factor. Other times, aggression occurs because of poor communication when the loved one suffering from dementia Response with fear and helplessness.
Often, the loved one suffering with cognitive issues may announce unfounded accusations, repeat statements/tasks or use poor judgment. This is often the result of the deterioration of the individual’s brain cells in the natural decline caused by Alzheimer’s or other dementias. In some cases, the loved one may vocalize untrue beliefs or appear delusional or accuse family and friends of stealing something with or without value. There are more subtle forms of the memory loss disease where the individual does not realize they are having problems even when feeling combative, agitated or scared.
Managing the Aggression
The use of drugs as an effective tool for managing aggressive behavior in patients with dementia is still very controversial. Physicians often prescribe antipsychotic medications. However, the effectiveness of these drugs is considered limited and often brings unpleasant and unwanted side effects including nausea and vomiting.
Just a few years ago, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released Black Box Warnings against the use of Risperdal and Seroquel (second-generation psychotropics). These warnings indicated that dementia patients on antipsychotic medications had an increased risk of death compared to patients not taking the drugs. The announcement is simply a warning and doctors can still legally prescribe the medications to dementia patients. Because of that, it is essential that family members comprehend the potentially life-threatening side effects involved before giving and informed consent for its use.
Medications are not the only viable answer. Family members and caregivers can create alternative solutions for diminishing aggressive behavior caused by Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Some of these include:
- Understanding Common Triggers – Once the family identifies specific situations that cause frequent upset to the loved one, they can develop interventions that cause gentle transitions from unacceptable behaviors to more desirable ones.
- Use Reasoning and Logic – Family members frustrated with unacceptable behavior will often lash out in an accusatory tone. However, using logic and reason of why a loved one’s behaviors a certain way can help the patient better focus their attention on their actions.
- Validate Your Loved One’s Feelings – Often, the aggression expressed by the loved one is the result of loneliness, sadness, fear or frustration. It’s important to tell them it is okay to feel what they are feeling.
- Develop Reassuring and Gentle Tones – Always smiling of a loved one, providing kindness and a gentle touch communicates important reassuring signals that they will be all right.
- Look the Other Way – If providing support or distracting a loved one failed to work at changing their aggressive or angry behavior, sometimes it’s just necessary to look the other way so long as they are not hurting themselves. Providing space can sometimes create a calming environment.
- Seek Out Support – Family members must seek out the comfort and understanding of counselors and support groups that can provide methods of coping with the management of your loved one’s aggression.
Geneva Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
If you believe your loved one has suffered abuse, neglect or mistreatment while residing at Arden Courts of Geneva, contact Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC today. Let our knowledgeable Geneva attorneys file and successfully resolve your neglect or abuse case that happened in an Illinois nursing home.
Schedule your no obligation, complimentary initial recompense claim review today by calling our Kane County abuse law offices at (888) 424-5757. We provide immediate legal representation without any upfront payment. Our legal fees are paid only after we have successfully resolved your case in a court of law or through a negotiated out-of-court settlement.
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