The Grove Of Berwyn Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
Nursing homes are supposed to be safe, comfortable environments where individuals who require 24-hour nursing care can receive the services they need to enjoy an extended lifespan. This care should be performed with respect, dignity, and precision. Every effort should be made to reasonably accommodate individual needs and preferences and treat residents like autonomous human beings.
Facility Population Growth May Lead to Abuse
Nursing home abuse is a growing problem in the US. It’s hard to say why, but there are a few factors that might be contributing. One, more Americans need assisted living now than before. The Baby Boomer generation is entering their later years and every year more and more of this demographic require nursing home care. The more residents in nursing homes, the more individuals will suffer abuse. Nursing homes are also facing overcrowding, and overworked staff are more likely to be abusive or negligent.
Second, a poor economy has left many previously good nursing homes struggling. Some have cut corners or been bought out by greedy investors who are more interested in making money than providing high quality care. Such facilities are often poorly managed or understaffed, creating volatile situations that promote abuse. Overworked and unskilled employees make dangerous mistakes or take out their frustrations on residents in these facilities.
Third, and most optimistically, it may be that a higher percentage of abuse victims are reporting their experiences now. Whether that’s a generational change or due to better education and information about abuse, it’s possible that more people are reporting abuse and looking for help than in the past. It’s still estimated that the majority of nursing home abuse cases go unreported, but it is a good sign if more victims and families are willing and able to report abuse because that means something can be done about it.
While nursing homes are required to do everything possible to protect their residents from abuse, all too often they are the ones creating an environment that fosters abuse rather than prevents it. Therefore it is up to residents themselves and their families to do their best to reduce the risk of being victimized and report possible abuse as quickly as possible to put a stop to it.
Stopping Nursing Home Abuse
It is impossible for a nursing home resident to completely prevent abuse so they should never feel ashamed or guilty if they are victimized. No one has the power to control another person like that. However, diligent individuals and families can take some measures that lessen the chances of being victimized.
Begin by doing thorough research into your nursing home choices. Levin & Perconti has long observed that highly rated nursing homes are less likely to have the kinds of staffing and management issues that encourage abuse. You can find the ratings for nursing homes on medicare.org. Every year, Medicare awards nursing homes ratings based on their performance in categories like health inspections, staffing, and quality measures. The higher the rating, the better–and presumably safer–the nursing home.
Medicare also publishes its health inspection reports on its website. These reports give the details of health citations a facility has received recently. You can note the number and severity of these citations for facilities you’re interested in to learn more about what a location struggles with. Almost every nursing home will have at least a few citations, but you can judge for yourself what citations are probably common, honest mistakes found in most facilities and which ones are indicative of larger problems that may be related to abuse.
Finding a reputable nursing home is a great preventative measure, but not everyone can obtain a bed in their community’s best nursing home, and even highly-rated facilities will have issues from time to time. That’s why residents and loved ones should be prepared to report abuse if it ever occurs no matter where a resident lives.
If you are unsure, nursing home abuse is any action, intentional or accidental, that causes physical, emotional, or psychological harm to a resident. It ranges from violent behavior to verbal attacks to negligence. If a behavior hurts a resident’s body, feelings, or mental wellbeing, it is abuse.
If you observe or experience such behavior at a nursing home, you can try to stop it in the moment if you are able. Don’t be embarrassed, however, if you find yourself afraid to speak up. Abuse is scary, and most people are hesitant to confront an abuser or may determine it is dangerous to do so. In any case, you should always report the incident to someone in charge, such as a staff supervisor or the facility administrator. You can ask a loved one or a reliable caregiver to help you report it if needed. Documenting the incident with notes or photos can be helpful too.
Every nursing home has a grievance procedure that residents and their representatives should have access to. You should follow the steps in it for reporting abuse in tandem with speaking with a supervisor. Nursing homes have an obligation to investigate any possible abuse. Tell them everything you know and ask how you can receive updates about the investigation to make sure it’s being looked into. The grievance procedure should help you understand the steps that the nursing home should be taking too, such as involving local authorities and correcting the situation to prevent further abuse.
Abuse is never the victim’s fault. Nursing home residents are there to receive professional medical care and assistance with daily living activities. No matter what their state of health or mental condition, they never deserve to be mistreated.
Levin & Perconti has seen the suffering of nursing home abuse victims up close. We’ve handled hundreds of such cases, many involving:
- Unauthorized Physical and/or Chemical Restraint Use
- Physical Abuse
- Alzheimer’s and Dementia Patients
- Falls, Improper Transfers, Drops by Staff
- Medication Errors
- Wandering and Elopement from facilities
- Pressure Sores
- Clogged Breathing Tubes
- Sepsis and Other Infections
- Burns
- Malnutrition and/or Dehydration
- Physical or Sexual Assault or Abuse
We never want you or someone you love to suffer in a nursing home. That’s why in addition to our services as nursing home abuse attorneys, we also share information on our website taken medicare.org to help Illinois families find the most trustworthy nursing homes in their area and prevent more cases of nursing home abuse.
About The Grove of Berwyn
3601 S Harlem Ave.
Berwyn, IL 60402
The Grove of Berwyn provides both short-term post-hospital care and rehab as well as residential skilled nursing care. The facility has 145 beds Medicare-certified beds.
Medicare gives The Grove of Berwyn a disappointing Much Below Average overall rating. This is due to its low category ratings: a Much Below Average health inspection rating, Average staffing rating, and Much Below Average quality measures rating.
With such poor ratings, it’s no wonder the facility’s latest health inspection report shows a number of health citations. You can read the entire report on medicare.org or a sample of them below.
3/22/2018 Failure to provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing. The facility failed to provide proper pressure ulcer care for four residents. A number of poor practices contributed to the residents’ pressure ulcers worsening while in the facility, including letting air mattresses deflate, not removing a soiled incontinent brief during wound care, failure to notify a physician when wounds got worse, and delayed incontinent care that allowed wounds to get wet.
3/22/2018 Failure to that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. The facility failed to follow their fall prevention program for a resident with a history of falls and to communicate that history to the resident’s physician and hospice service, resulting in another fall. After the resident was transferred to hospice, he suffered a fall that resulted in hospitalization for an abrasion, contusion, and small laceration on the face. It was discovered that this resident had fallen three times before entering hospice care, but the falls were not documented or the information shared with hospice staff.
3/22/2018 Failure to up an ongoing quality assessment and assurance group to review quality deficiencies and develop corrective plans of action. The facility failed to develop and implement a plan of action to improve care and treatment for residents receiving preventative skin care. The facility did not have quality indicators for measuring the progression of pressure ulcers or a plan to improve quality outcomes related to pressure ulcers. This put over 100 residents at risk for developing new or worsening pressure ulcers.
Levin & Perconti Is Here for You
It’s easy to feel alone and vulnerable if you or a loved one have been abused at The Grove of Berwyn or another Illinois nursing home. Levin & Perconti can help. We will fight for your rights and see to it that your voice is heard. We’ve won over $160 million in nursing home verdicts and settlements and can win for you too. Our experienced nursing home abuse attorneys are on your side. Contact us online or call Levin & Perconti at 888-424-5757 any time to get started with a free consultation.
Disclaimer: The above health inspection findings are taken from public records kept and published by Medicare and the state of Illinois and are not complete. Levin & Perconti cannot confirm that this page’s content includes the latest information available. Any corrections or additions made to these public records after publication of this page will not be found here. For the most up-to-date information, visit www.il.gov or medicare.gov. This page is a legal advertisement and informational resource for visitors and is not endorsed by the named facility or any government agency. Levin & Perconti does not have any affiliation with the named facility.
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Not only were they so professional but also so caring and thoughtful. It was very difficult going over the facts in our mother's case but they were so compassionate and understanding and allowed us to be with them every step of the way. We were able to sit in on the depositions and we were really able to see how hard they worked on our behalf.
During that time, my family and I suffered the loss of my mother. Mr. Levin and Mr. Perconti were more than just our lawyers. Words can’t really express our gratitude.
They were most patient and responded timely to many questions throughout the entire process. All demonstrated professionalism and extensive knowledge of case and state laws. Their in-depth investigative work uncovered details which were unknown to us and yet sadly confirmed our suspicions. We would recommend the Levin and Perconti Law firm and especially this team.
During that time, my family and I suffered the loss of my mother. Mr. Levin and Mr. Peconti were more than just our lawyers. Words can’t really express our gratitude. My family and I will always be grateful for the compassion that they showed us. I want to thank you for what you did for my family, and for always being there for us.
Margaret’s representation, guidance, and professionalism gave us the sense that we could put our trust in Levin & Perconti and the final outcome proved that to be true.
Legally Reviewed by
Steven M. Levin
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Notable Results
VERDICT
on behalf of an 85-year-old woman injured in a nursing home when her medications were mismanaged.
VERDICT
for the estate of a 67-year-old man who died from complications related to a fall
SETTLEMENT
for a 59-year-old resident who developed multiple painful and infected bedsores which took four years to heal.
The Grove Facilities
Our Office
325 N LaSalle Dr Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60654
312-332-2872
