Illinois Nursing Home Complaints Not Investigated

Scandal Prompts Looking Into Alternatives to Nursing Homes

Problems around the country surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted health risks in nursing homes, and those caring for seniors might want to look into alternatives.

In Illinois, the state has admitted that it has not investigated nursing home complaints for nearly three and one-half months during the coronavirus pandemic, said the Chicago Tribune.

The Tribune reported,

“A health department spokeswoman said top administrators discovered July 8 that agency personnel had not investigated any of the abuse or neglect complaints it had received from mid-March until June 22 as required by state law. The most serious complaints require an investigation to begin within 24 hours, next-worst within seven days and least serious within 30 days.”

States should focus on investigating serious complaints of abuse and neglect, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, which is the federal regulator of nursing homes. Illinois officials admitted that this did not happen when it should have, the Tribune reported. State law requires timely investigation of all cases.

Elderly Abuse Advocates

Since the pandemic, Facebook groups focusing on elder abuse in nursing homes are begging that the public become aware of the dangers of isolation in nursing homes.

One group, Elderly Nursing Home Abuse Advocates, has a post pointing this out. The writer, who looked after his mother in a nursing home, talks about other seniors in facilities:

“They need their family. I went every day for 15 years to make sure she ate and drank and was clean and safe, treated with dignity and respect. This is what we lost with this lockdown. Family members need to be designated as essential members that go in and do what I did for 15 years. We can’t give this up because Governors put us in the same category of careless people who won’t wear a mask or social distance, who must have a parade or find some other way to socialize. We are asking to stop the isolation, it is killing them and is worse than the virus.”

Benefits of Home Care

Home care has obvious benefits over nursing homes and senior care facilities in that the senior is watched and cared for carefully, and has plenty of one-on-one time with their caregiver.

At Destiny Senior Care, caregivers are properly trained and monitored on a regular basis. Our communication with the senior and their family ensures that their dignity is respected and their needs are properly cared for. Find out more about the personal care that we provide.