Illinois Group Home Abuse Lawyers

Group homes (adult foster care or personal care homes) are an alternative to larger assisted care facilities for older adults or people with developmental disabilities. The concept of these nursing homes seems noble, offering a more "home-like" atmosphere with fewer residents.

Unfortunately, these smaller versions of long-term care facilities can be run by individuals that are more concerned with the profits they can make than providing the care that they need.

Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC represents people who have been abused and neglected in a transitional home setting. If your loved one has suffered a serious injury or death, contact our Illinois group home abuse lawyers today for a free case review of the circumstances involving the harm.

Our attorneys are fully committed to holding Adult Residential Facility operators and management companies accountable when a disabled person is injured at their facility. Contact our Chicago law firm for a free case review of your legal rights for a civil claim under Illinois law.

Illinois Group Home Regulation

The idea behind group homes is to provide a residential living environment for a small number of people with similar issues. This may be elderly persons, developmental disabilities, people with chemical dependency issues, or anyone that needs support for daily living.

These are not medical facilities but have staff available to help residents with their daily living needs such as meals and personal hygiene.

One issue with adult residential facilities for the elderly or disabled is the limited regulation that these smaller homes receive. Although they must be licensed by the Illinois Department of Public Health and should adhere to similar rules as larger long-term care facilities, these homes may only have a few residents, making them less likely to get the same amount of scrutiny.

In a small residential transitional home, there may only be one or two people working at the home, making it easy for abuse to happen and not get reported.

Abuse of Disabled People in Group Home Environments

These small residential adult residential facilities can have owners or staff that become abusive toward their residents, using their position to commit atrocities against those they are paid to care for. Some residents can feel powerless to get away from their abusers and get help from authorities. Some of the types of abuse that may happen in these homes include:

• Physical abuse. Residents of Adult Residential Facilities may be subjected to physical abuse such as being struck, restrained, or even cut or burned.
• Emotional abuse. The staff can be verbally abusive and controlling, causing emotional abuse and pain. Home residents can become withdrawn and depressed due to the poor treatment they endure.
• Home neglect. The nursing home staff could fail to provide any service necessary for the patient to maintain a quality of life or medical health.
• Sexual abuse. Sexual predators are drawn to working at facilities like transitional homes where victims are easily accessible with little supervision and are vulnerable due to age or mental disability.
• Financial abuse. Residents living in adult residential facilities can become victims of financial abuse by their care providers. Caregivers have been known to steal checks, credit cards, and even identities of their residents.

The Nursing Home Care Act protects residents against home abuse and neglect. Unfortunately, not all staff members follow the law, resulting in severe injury and wrongful death.

Many cases of abuse in nursing homes go unreported, where the victim lives in fear of retaliation or cannot speak up to protect themselves. Elder abuse violates the patient's civil rights to live without mistreatment.

Stopping Group Home Abuse in Illinois

It is up to family members and friends to protect their loved ones in group homes from abuse by watching for signs and proactively visiting residents of these homes.

Relying on government officials to catch these abusers is unrealistic as some group homes are run without the proper licensing and fall under the radar or even if licensed, are rarely inspected. Family members should be aware of any physical signs of abuse, changes in behavior, or suspicious circumstances surrounding financial accounts.

Group home abuse, like all caregiver abuse, can be devastating to both the victim and their families. Abusers deserve to not only be punished but also should be held liable for the damage they cause to their victims, financially, emotionally, and physically.

Sample Illinois Group Home Abuse Lawsuits and Awards

$400,000 Illinois Settlement; Adult Residential Facility Abuse Lawsuit

This group home controversy involved one of the most common forms of abuse: neglect. It is often because it involves more passive abuse rather than active forms of mistreatment. However, it is abuse nonetheless and its ramifications can be as deadly as any other kind.

In this situation, the victim was a middle-aged man. He entered the adult residential facilities because he had brain injuries and paralysis since birth. He needed around-the-clock care and support.

Frankly, what he got was far less than that. As a result, he developed bed sores (also called pressure sores) across his body. Staff where he subsequently received treatment for them counted six in total.

Doctors performed surgery to prevent them from worsening (they had already become infected). Then, he was transferred to a rehabilitation facility. Finally, he was discharged and lived with this family. They decided to bring a lawsuit on his behalf.

They alleged the Illinois group home was negligent in its care of the man and responsible for the damages that resulted. These harms included his injuries, scarring, bills, and future suffering. The defendant facility offered a reply.

However, they knew that the brazen nature of their errors did not bode well in court, especially with such a sympathetic-looking plaintiff/victim. Therefore, they got down to negotiating and the plaintiffs obtained $400,000 of compensation.

Lawsuit Alleges Abuse and Malpractice at Illinois Group Home

The events in this recently filed case arose out of a group home in central Illinois. The victim was a woman who suffered from multiple physical and mental health problems.

She needed care and support on a long-term and professional level. In the court documents, her counsel alleges that she was sexually molested and abused by a staff member.

Consequently, she got a sexually transmitted disease from the events. Reports differ on the frequency of occurrence of the alleged abuse. However, the lawsuit also made out a claim for malpractice. It stated that the facility staff negligently placed a feeding tube down her throat.

That error led to significant injury and hospital bills. The outcome of this dispute has not been finalized. However, the cause of action seeking compensation for physical injury, emotional trauma, and medical bills among other things. In disputes of this nature, a settlement is normally the outcome as defendants attempt to avoid sympathetic juries.

Case Filed in Illinois after Man Kills Roommate in Adult Residential Facility

This incident took place in a group home not far from Chicago, Illinois. The victim was just thirty years old. He lived at the facility because he was mentally disabled. He had been that way since birth.

Apparently, he and his roommate (who weighed twice as much as he did) got into an altercation. Reports are unclear as to how it started or if the smaller victim was even able to fight back at all. He passed away almost one week after the incident. Doctors declared that he died because of compressional asphyxia.

The police deemed the incident an assault and labeled the victim's death a homicide. This case still awaits resolution. The complaint seeks damages for negligence and wrongful death. It makes out that the facility had a duty to ensure the safety of residents. Clearly, that promise was not kept here.

Get Legal Help From Illinois Group Home Abuse Attorneys Headquartered in Chicago

Operators of Illinois group homes have a legal responsibility to keep their residents safe and free from abuse and injury. When episodes of mistreatment occur, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC stands ready to prosecute these cases on behalf of minors, disabled, and other vulnerable people.

Don't let a facility get away with poor care. Make a phone call at (888) 424-5757 or fill in the contact form to speak with an Illinois nursing home facility abuse attorney today.

Your home abuse lawyer will review your case, provide immediate legal advice, and discuss options on how to resolve your nursing home abuse case. We handle cases in Illinois, including Cook County, Lake County, DuPage County, Will County, Des Plaines, Arlington Heights, Orland Park, and throughout the Chicago area.

• Legal Definitions of Senior Care Types of Residences
• Illinois Compiled Statutes