In Illinois, a “lost” nursing home resident was recently
found. Fortunately, the resident was safe and unharmed. But that
begs the question:
Why was the resident—a known dementia
patient—allowed to wander off?
The answer likely lies with the lack of
care required of such residents.
As our population finds itself increasingly growing older,
many of the elderly are forced to turn to nursing homes for long-term care.
In looking to nursing homes, potential nursing home residents present
with a variety of physical maladies and cognitive limitations. And the
cognitive limitations of such individuals can be considerable, including
conditions such as advanced dementia or Alzheimer’s, obviously requiring
specialized and appropriate care. To provide the needed care for such
nursing home residents, nursing homes must be committed to serving these
residents—both with qualified staff and a financial commitment.
There are numerous nursing homes within the State of
Illinois, but some are more equipped, and some less equipped, to deal with the
challenges of caring for the cognitively impaired resident. And while
many nursing homes claim they are capable of caring for such residents, that is
simply not the case. Many of these nursing homes simply do the not have
the staff, either in numbers or qualifications, to care for the mentally
impaired. Additionally, providing the appropriate care for such residents
is not limited to having the sufficient numbers of qualified staff; appropriate
care also requires having in place the physical equipment and security devices
to ensure that all such residents will remain safe.
Under Illinois law, nursing homes must provide to each
resident the “individualized” care the resident requires for his or her well-being
and safety. And this individualized care certainly includes care
specifically designed to care for the cognitively impaired resident. If a
nursing home fails to provide such care, it is in violation of the Illinois
Nursing Home Care Act (210 ILCS 45/1 et seq.)
If you have concerns for a famility member that is in a nursing home please call our office today. 800-594-7433 or send us a confidential inquiry.
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