Filing a Complaint Against an Illinois Nursing Home

How to Prepare Your Nursing Home Complaint and Who to Contact

The Illinois Department of Public Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regulates and inspects Illinois nursing homes and long-term care facilities under the state’s licensing acts, regulations, and federal Medicare Conditions of Participation. The state’s 24-hour a day Nursing Home Hotline receives nearly 19,000 complaint calls each year.

Here is a list of the most common complaints associated with chronic nursing home problems in Illinois.

• bedsores and decubitus ulcers
• malnutrition, dehydration
• choking
• sepsis and chronic infections
• understaffing, including RNs and on-call physicians
• excessive use of feeding tubes
• medication errors or misuse of prescription drugs
• physical or chemical restraints
• wandering and elopement
• unnecessary falls
• verbal abuse, physical assault and sexual abuse
• mistreatment of residents with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia
• discrimination against residents
• threatening to refuse medical treatment
• disregard for resident preferences
• mishandled medical devices
• wrongful eviction and forced transfers
• refusal to accept insurance coverage or bill Medicare
• fraud and financial abuse

Nursing home complaints are most often filed by patients, resident family members and friends, caregivers, staff, or advocacy groups.

Submitting Your Complaint

Complaints often uncover violations. And the process of filing a complaint can help deter staff from making poor choices or future quality of care initiatives of failing. When submitting your complaint, be prepared to answer these questions.

• Who is the patient/resident? Who are the employees involved?
• What happened to the patient/resident? What are the specific allegations (abuse/neglect, acquired infections or medication error)?
• When did this incident occur (date of incident, admission or treatment)?
• Where is the facility located (name and city)? Where in the facility did the incident occur (room number, unit, or department)?
• How was the patient harmed? How could the patient have been potentially harmed?
• How was your complaint addressed by the facility?

Complaints can be filed by phone, and mail or fax using the Healthcare Facilities Complaint Form.

File a Complaint by Phone
Central Complaint Registry Hotline – 800-252-4343
Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
TTY for the Hearing Impaired Only- 800-547-0466

File a Complaint by Mail or Fax

Illinois Department of Public Health
Office of Health Care Regulation
Central Complaint Registry
525 W. Jefferson St., Ground Floor
Springfield, IL 62761-0001
Fax: 217-524-8885

Our Illinois nursing home attorneys know that many facilities routinely violate the law and treat residents poorly. Concerned employees are also encouraged to call the nursing home whistleblower hotline at 312-332-2872 or email complaints to questions@levinperconti.com. All calls and consultations are confidential and employees are protected by the law to make a complaint.