Champaign County Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Attorneys for Elder Abuse and Nursing Home Injuries in Champaign, Springfield, and Peoria

For many families, the decision to place a loved one in a nursing home can be very difficult, but it may be necessary to ensure that a person can receive a level of care that family members would not be able to provide. Nursing homes often provide a safe environment with personnel who are trained to meet patients' needs, but unfortunately, there are some situations where residents suffer harm at the hands of staff members or other residents. If your family member has experienced abuse that was the result of nursing home negligence, a skilled lawyer can help you determine your legal options.

At Kanoski Bresney, our attorneys have more than 40 years of legal experience representing victims of nursing home abuse, medical negligence, and a wide variety of other types of personal injuries. We have helped injury victims receive a total of over $400 million in jury verdicts and personal injury settlements, and we are ready to fight on your behalf and help you achieve justice for the harm done to your loved one and your family. We strive to make sure our clients are treated with respect, receive a timely response to their questions or concerns, and obtain the results they deserve.

Signs of Nursing Home Abuse

Elder abuse at nursing homes and assisted living facilities can take a variety of forms, and not all of them are immediately obvious. Physical abuse may consist of striking or shoving a patient or handling them roughly when helping them get into or out of bed or move throughout a facility. Verbal, emotional, and mental abuse can be just as damaging, and it may involve yelling or speaking harshly to a person or attempting to cut them off from contact with relatives or friends. Many nursing home residents also suffer sexual assault, and perpetrators may target patients with dementia or those who are too weak to defend themselves.

Other less-obvious forms of abuse include financial exploitation or theft, which may occur through scams or by a person gaining a nursing home resident's trust and manipulating them into giving away money or valuables. Staff members may also use unreasonable restraint on a patient they believe is troublesome, and this can consist of physically confining a person to a bed or chair or using drugs such as sedatives for medically unnecessary purposes.

It can sometimes be difficult to recognize that a nursing home resident is suffering from abuse, especially if they have dementia or Alzheimer's disease or struggle to communicate with others. However, some signs of physical abuse include unexplained bruises, scratches, or other physical injuries, as well as rapid weight loss or gain. A person who has been abused emotionally or sexually may experience changes in mood or behavior, including depression, anxiety, agitation, or withdrawal from activities they usually enjoy. A resident may also seem afraid to talk about the nursing home and the care they receive, or they may not want to be left alone with certain staff members. If family members recognize any of these signs, further investigation may be needed to determine whether abuse occurred because of the negligence of a nursing home.

Contact Our Bloomington Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys

Abuse can be especially harmful to nursing home residents, since they are more vulnerable to physical harm, and they may be in a position where they have no way to leave a dangerous situation. If someone you love has suffered abuse at the hands of nursing home staff or other residents, Kanoski Bresney can investigate the situation and help you determine whether it occurred because of nursing home negligence. We will fight for your loved one's rights and work to hold a negligent facility responsible for the damages your family has suffered as a result of nursing home abuse. To learn more about how we can help with your case, contact our office by calling 888-U-COUNT-2 or 888-826-8682 to schedule a free consultation. We represent victims of nursing home negligence in Springfield, Champaign County, Decatur, Macon County, Bloomington, Adams County, Schuyler County, Quincy, Champaign, Peoria County, McLean County, Tazewell County, Macomb, Rushville, Pekin, Sangamon County, Peoria, McDonough County, and across Illinois.