The number of individuals with developmental disabilities in the US is increasing at an unprecedented rate, causing unique problems for those that provide care and services. These individuals tend to have a higher potential of developing chronic medical conditions that are often the result of a confluence of disabilities and syndromes. Unfortunately, not every facility provides the highest level of care to the intellectually and developmentally disabled, which often leads to mistreatment, abuse, and neglect. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC represent injured residents who live in Illinois Sheltered Care homes like Chestnut Corner.
Chestnut Corner
This Home is a Shelter Care Center providing services to residents of Louisville and Clay County, Illinois. The 81-certified-bed Care Facility is located at:
905 West Chestnut St
Louisville, Illinois 62858
618-665-4085
Louisville Sheltered Care Home Resident Safety Concerns
The state of Illinois routinely updates their long-term care home database systems to reflect all opened investigations, filed complaints, incident inquiries, safety concerns and health violations. This information can be found on numerous sites including the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH – ltc.dph.illinois.gov). The Clay County abuse and neglect attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC have found serious deficiencies and safety concerns at all Illinois Shelter Care Facilities.
Assessing the Individual’s Needs
Every individual suffering with a developmental disability is unique. Many times, the individual with one major disability also has associated disabilities that could include:
- Autism
- William syndrome
- Prader-Willi syndrome
- Fragile X syndrome
- Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)
- Down syndrome
Many of these syndromes have an established etiology (causes of the condition or disease) that have specific health concerns for caregivers. Usually, it is up to the primary care provider to develop an effective Plan of Care that often involves rigorous reviewing of existing protocols and guidelines to ensure that the individual receives optimal care. An initial assessment and ongoing (monthly/quarterly/annually) assessments are necessary to maximize the individual’s quality of life, reduce or eliminate the need for behavioral adjusting medications (psychotropics) and enhance their overall health.
Specialized Training
Successful shelter care centers are facilitated by staff members who have been specifically trained in crisis prevention and management. These Nurses, Aides and Direct Care Persons (DSPs) have been trained to address serious behavioral issues and usually have the necessary tools to prepare or prevent a crisis from occurring. This includes training in the best ways to recognize a resident’s pattern of intensified or escalating inappropriate behaviors and quickly identify responses that tend to be highly effective to prevent a behavioral crisis or at least minimize or manage it after it happens.
The specialized training usually helps the staff member quickly identify state-specific indicators of an escalating behavior and determine the appropriate use of behavior-modifying medications.
Managing the Condition
Approximately 30 percent of all males and females with developmental and intellectual disabilities living in a community environment or residential setting also suffer from psychiatric disorders. The most common disorders include depression and anxiety. However, some individuals have severe psychosis that leads to self-injury and outward aggression.
Intermediate care facilities specializing in mental illness can assess the individual to determine if a drug-induced, medical or environmental cause is behind the behavioral symptoms. Gathering clues and ruling out causes can reduce the need for psychotropic drug therapy often used to decrease behavioral issues associated with psychiatric mental illness. Determining the cause is essential because many behaviors do not respond appropriately to medication therapies.
When a drug is required, it is often incorporated into the individual’s Plan of Care and treatment coordinated among the resident’s caregivers. Often, the medication is involved in multiple approaches to address a specific behavior problem based on targeted symptoms that have been identified and will be monitored as a part of the individual’s care plan.
The Harm of Medicating
Many individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities are highly sensitive to the side effects of antipsychotic medications. Because of that, many doctors begin a drug regimen on low doses and will decrease, discontinue or increase the dosage slowly.
Unfortunately, there are serious side effects to taking antipsychotic medications. However, the medications used to treat movement disorders including tardive dyskinesia, Parkinsonism, dystonia and akathisia tend to have lower risks of side effects. Many doctors prescribe pimozide and haloperidol to treat Tourette’s syndrome. But, the FDA recently issued a black box warning concerning pimozide due to the increased risk of developing irregular heart rhythm.
Antihistamines have shown to be ineffective for behavioral problems. This is because many individuals develop resistance to the overall sedative effect but suffer the serious side effects including constipation, blurry vision, dry mouth and difficulty in urinating.
Louisville Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
If you or your family suspect that your loved one was the victim of abuse, neglect or mistreatment by caregivers or other residents while a resident at Chestnut Corner, contact the nursing home lawyers at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC now. Our knowledgeable Louisville attorneys can offer legal assistance on your behalf to ensure your case for financial compensation is successfully resolved against every party who caused your loved one harm.
We urge you to contact our Clay County elder abuse law office today at (888) 424-5757 to schedule your free, no-obligation comprehensive recompense claim evaluation. No upfront fees are necessary because our law firm accepts every shelter care home abuse/neglect claim for compensation through a contingency fee agreement.
