Chicago Nursing Home Abuse: Who Is Watching the Watchdogs?

 Posted on May 18,2021 in Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

When families make the decision to place an elderly loved one in a nursing home, they are entrusting the facility to provide the care their loved one needs with compassion and dignity. While there are many facilities that do just that, there are also far too many nursing homes that fail at protecting residents and providing the most basic of needs. In Illinois alone, there are more than 20,000 cases of elder abuse reported each year, with many of those victims residing in nursing homes.

Because of the prevalence of nursing home abuse and neglect, both the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago have safeguards in place that are supposed to protect seniors. But as one recent report issued by the Inspector General for the City of Chicago reveals, one city inspector failed miserably at their job.

Investigator Fails to Perform Nursing Home Inspections

The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) is the agency that oversees nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities. The agency employs elder protective investigators who are supposed to monitor cases of elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of residents at these facilities.

According to the quarterly report, one investigator never showed up at the facilities they had oversight on and filed false reports for dozens of in-person visits and meetings at facilities that never took place. The investigator even reported a meeting with a nursing home employee who did not work at the facility any longer. During an investigation, facility officials who were interviewed said they never met with the inspector. The report also notes that the investigator was evasive during interviews and made inaccurate statements. The investigator resigned their position before they were fired.

One recommendation from the inspector general’s report is to make sure that all inspectors at DFSS have GPS-enabled cell phones in order for supervisors to be able to track their movements and make sure they are performing their job. A spokesperson for the agency said they are implementing these controls.

Contact a Hyde Park Nursing Personal Injury Attorney for Help

It is disturbing to think of all the nursing home residents that continued to be victimized because this inspector did not do his or her job. This is just another example of why families must remain diligent and watch for any signs of abuse or neglect. If you suspect your loved one is being abused, contact Kadzai Law Group, LLC to find out what steps you should take and what legal recourse you may have against those who were responsible. Call 312-229-0050 today to schedule a free and confidential consultation with a dedicated Chicago nursing home abuse attorney.

Sources:

https://www2.illinois.gov/aging/ProtectionAdvocacy/Pages/APS-Statistics.aspx

https://igchicago.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/OIG-Fourth-Quarter-2020-Report.pdf