The abuse of the elderly in a nursing home facility is a complicated issue.

In many instances, patients have mobility, mental, hearing and vision limitations, all of which allow someone who is in a position of power to take advantage. This is not always intentional, and it is not limited to lower quality facilities with poorly trained nursing home care staff.

For some it helps to look at the similarities between caring for an elderly nursing home resident and caring for a baby. Each has to rely on someone completely, but only the baby has the benefit of being cute and innocent. Treatment of the senior will depend on his or her mental condition and personality. This can result in up to 5 millionadults age 60+ being abused each year from coast to coast.

When an Illinois nursing home abuse attorney is asked “how best to prevent nursing home resident abuse,” it often appears
logical that the only true preventative measure is keeping an elderly family member in a nursing home close to home. The sad truth our legal team understands is that proximity to your home is no guarantee that abuse will not occur. However, there are strategies that families can employ to protect loved ones who are making the move into a nursing home.

Tips from the legal pros for finding a quality nursing home

Initially you will want to talk to family, friends, neighbors and a trusted physician to learn about the facilities they feel are well-suited for your loved one. After you have a handful of suggestions that sound promising, plan a visit and think about questions you will want to ask.

• Is the staff friendly and respectful
• Is the nursing home facility clean
• Does the facility readily offer nutritious food and drinks
• Are there visitor restrictions
• Is there access to a telephone and a TV or computer
• Is the facility willing to share its Medicare/Medicaid required inspection report
• Will you receive a copy of the care plan
• Will there be one RN working 8 hours per day, 7 days per week
• Will there be at least one RN or LPN working for 24 hours per day, 7 days per week?

As Florida and Illinois nursing home abuse attorneys, we advise individuals that the best way to minimize the opportunity for abuse of nursing home residents is to proactively use the questions detailed above. In addition, our legal team suggests it is vital for loved ones to play an active role in the lives of family members in nursing homes. In remaining engaged, it will become easier to identify warning signs and address issues requiring a nursing home abuse lawyer when they arise. If you do suspect abuse or neglect of a family member or a friend in a nursing home, report the situation to local law enforcement and contact the nursing home abuse specialists from Action Legal Group at 1-877-880-4861.