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Group homes, also known as adult foster care or personal care homes, are an alternative to larger assisted care facilities for the elderly or otherwise disabled. The concept of these homes seems noble, offering a more “home-like” atmosphere with fewer residents. Unfortunately, these smaller versions of assisted care facilities can be run by individuals that are more concerned with the money they can make from their residents than providing the care that they need.
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC represents people who have been abused and neglected in a group home setting. If your loved one has suffered an injury, 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 hold group home 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 amount 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 of the issues with group homes for the elderly or disabled is the limited regulation that these smaller homes receive. Although they must be licensed and should adhere to similar rules as larger facilities, these homes may only have a few residents, making them less likely to get the same amount of scrutiny. In a small residential group 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 group homes 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. Residents of group homes may be subjected to physical abuse such as being struck, restrained or even cut or burned.
- Emotional. Group home staff can be verbally abusive and controlling, causing emotional pain. Residents can become withdrawn and depressed due to the poor treatment they endure.
- Sexual. Sexual predators are drawn to working at facilities like group homes where victims are easily accessible with little supervision and are vulnerable due to age or disability.
- Financial. Residents living in group homes 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.
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. Abuser deserve to not only be punished but also should be held liable for the damage they cause to their victims, financially, emotionally and physically.
Get Help From Group Home Abuse Lawyers Headquartered in Chicago, IllinoisOperators 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. Speak to an Illinois group home abuse attorney today.
