Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog

Six People Indicted Following Elder Financial Abuse

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:42:33 -0600

A troubling scheme was recently uncovered involving the swindling of elderly nursing home residents and their families out of tens of thousands of dollars reports the Clarion Ledger.

The plan involved an ex-nursing home social worker who told residents and their families at the Belhaven Senior Care Center that they needed to pay money to ensure that their Medicare benefits were maintained. Ponchie McCollough, one of the perpetrators, would demand checks ranging from $400 to $2,500 from the unsuspecting victims. Of course many families and residents trusted the word of the supposedly honest workers at these facilities to guide them through the process of receiving Medicare benefits. When McCollough demanded money to ensure that the aid was provided and care was continued, many of these families believed her and paid.

The families would make the checks out to McCollough’s co-conspirator, an administrator at the facility who would then cash the checks and the two would pocket the funds. Two other co-conspirators were also involved in parts of the scheme, helping McCollough funnel the money from the unsuspected elderly victims.

To make matters worse, nursing home staff members failed to report the abuse even after it was uncovered. In particular, two employees were indicted by authorities for assisting in the elder abuse by failing to report any of the criminal acts. An operations director and a billing director at the facility have been charged as “accessories” following the theft. They both attempted to help McCollough avoid getting caught and having to return the money. Both of those employees worked for the consulting firm which owned Belhaven.

Our Chicago nursing home attorneys at Levin & Perconti continue to be disgusted and disappointed in the lengths that many of these employees go to take advantage of their position when they are supposed to be aiding these vulnerable residents. When six different employees are involved in a scheme that seeks to break the law and harm residents, there is clearly a fundamental nursing home problem. Unfortunately, every day new reports flood in about employees abusing residents in different ways. None of the abuses should be tolerated. Please report any incident of neglect or abuse at nursing facilities near you and help put an end to the problem.

Three Nursing Home Employees Commit Elder Abuse

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:08:26 -0600

A troubling story was recently reported in the Berkshire Eagle discussing elder abuse at the Springside Nursing Home. Two nursing home employees were fired in the latest incident which occurred last week. A third employee was fired earlier this month following a different incident of resident abuse. As our Chicago nursing home lawyers at Levin & Perconti are well aware, many nursing homes seem to repeatedly hire problematic employees. A culture at a nursing home which tolerates even the smallest misconduct often leads directly to repeated examples of nursing home residents being abused, humiliated, and neglected.

At Springside, the latest incident involved the abuse of a 72-year old blind resident who suffers from dementia and uses a wheelchair. The resident had soiled herself and was crying to a nursing home aide, Jodi LeBrake, for help getting clean. Instead of doing what she is paid to do, however, LeBrake repeatedly told the elderly resident to “shut up.” Following that she took a sock and shoved it into the resident’s mouth. Another nursing assistant was in the room when it all happened; the other woman did not stop it, admonish LeBrake, or report it as required.

Three weeks before that incident, another resident at the facility was abused at the hands of a nursing assistant. Former Springside employee Sandra Yankey was seen pulling the hair of an 81-year old resident when she was supposed to be providing care. Yankey actually had a previous criminal background before she was even hired by the nursing home.

As is typical when a nursing home is found to have allowed multiple abuses of their residents, officials claim that the incidents were “isolated and unrelated.” Of course experience and common sense suggest that a nursing facility has an inherent problem that is not isolated when they hire multiple employees that continue to provide abusive care. The more that these facilities tolerate even minor elder abuse, the more likely that the staff members will allow the conduct to continue and the more residents will suffer. We strongly encourage anyone who suspects any negligence or abuse at a nearby facility to contact a nursing home lawyer immediately to help hold these abusers responsible and improve the lives of vulnerable seniors.

Bank Teller Charged With Stealing Money From Elderly Aunt

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 07:59:53 -0600

A troubling news story from the San Mateo Daily Journal discusses another example of financial elder abuse.

A bank teller in Redwood City is charged with felony fiscal elder abuse after she stole more $40,000 from her own aunt. While working as a teller, Arcelia Barajas Aguilar had close access to the funds of the bank customers. She was able to transfer money from one customer’s account to another. Early last month, Aguilar apparently transferred $40,000 from her aunt’s account into her own personal account.

Aguilar apparently used the money to pay down her credit card debt. Fortunately, the fraud was discovered during a bank audit. Aguilar was arrested and is now on bail. It is unclear how much money remains of the total that she stole. The judge warned the Aguilar’s sentence could ultimately be affected by the amount of restitution she is able to make—how much money she can pay back.

This story raises unique questions about the ultimate effectiveness of attempts to curb elder financial abuse. Our Chicago elder abuse attorneys at Levin & Perconti have long been advocates of taking steps to limit the chance for vulnerable seniors to have their finances exploited. This year the Illinois Legislature passed a bill which will attempt to help stop the problem by educating those in a position to notice fraudulent actions with senior finances—bank tellers. Of course, abuses like the one committed by Aguilar would probably not have been stopped by Illinois’ attempted remedy. There is little training that can be done to raise awareness of the problem if the people being trained are the very ones willing to commit fraud to steal cash from seniors.

This recent abuse is only more reason for everyone, no matter how often you interact with senior family and friends, to remain constantly vigilant to the potential of exploitation. What makes this a particularly complex problem is that the abuse very often occurs at the hands of family members themselves, as in the Aguilar case. It is hard enough for many elderly citizens to recognize when they are being taken advantage of by strangers, let alone family members who they are likely to trust even more.

New “Village” Community Helps Elderly Residents Stay in Their Homes

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:45:57 -0600

As frequently reported on this blog, elderly residents across the country now have more options when they reach a point in their lives when they need additional assistance. Our Chicago nursing home lawyers at Levin & Perconti continue to watch as nursing homes provide inadequate care to vulnerable residents in their facilities, so it is no surprise than many seniors wish to avoid these negligent homes for as long as possible.

One alternative option is participation in what are becoming known as "elderly villages.” As discussed today in a Columbus Dispatch article, there are currently around 50 villages in the country, with nearly 100 more in various stages of being organized. These villages are buddy-style communities that allow seniors the chance to stay in their homes but still receive low-cost nursing visits, home maintenance, and other help that is needed.

The group is comparatively low-cost, with members paying $400 a year to cover employment costs of two staff members and other expenses. Collectively, members are able to negotiate discounts with home-care aides, physical therapists, and other medical providers.

Besides that basic care, the village also acts as a support community, helping each other when necessary. Monthly events are held which helps educate seniors, for example, on avoiding financial scams—a growing problem in the community.

For many elderly residents who are in need of additional help as they age, the benefits of the village are clear. Maintaining their independence is an important consideration for many seinors. As one member of an elder village explained, “I don’t want to have to move to a retirement community and I don’t want to move in with my children.”

The popularity of these alternative care communities will continue to grow. If traditional nursing home providers keep allowing inadequate and abusive elder care at their group homes, than the benefits of the alternatives will become even more obvious. As the director of one elder village explained, “It’s a revolution.”

Nursing Homes No Longer the Only Option For Seniors

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 13:21:31 -0600

Thirty years ago, when a senior needed extra medical care beyond that which he or she could do themselves, they virtually had no other choice but to move into a nursing home. Today things are much different. The Rockford Register Star recently discussed the change and the effect it has had on nursing home businesses in the Chicago area. Assisted living facilities, home care groups, and retirement centers now abound, allowing seniors increasing freedom to choose the type of aide that best matches their needs. The trend is considered a positive development by all who care about allowing seniors the chance to preserve their freedom and live happy, fulfilling, independent lives.

However, the expanded options have made it tougher for traditional nursing homes to fill beds in their facilities. Nursing home officials make money based on the payments paid for the care of each resident. The more residents at the facility, the more money the home receives. However, with more seniors taking advantage of options besides traditional nursing homes, the competition to fill the beds is tightening. As a result, many areas near Chicago are “overbedded”—meaning that there are more available places in nursing homes than there are individuals in need of nursing home care.

In fact, many nursing home officials are attempting to avoid further competition by stopping the creation of new long-term care facilities. For example, in the Rockford area, nursing home administrators are hoping that state officials stop the creation of two new special facilities—Pecatonica Pavilion and Warrior’s Gateway. The two new locations would cater to different populations, with Warrior’s Gateway specifically targeting those with traumatic brain injuries and multiple traumas. However, regardless of their clients, nursing home administrators believe that the new organizations would simply be more competition, making it harder for them to fill available beds in their nursing homes.

The declining occupancy rates have ultimately led to tighter budgets at many facilities. The budget challenges can pose a real problem for patient care.

Our Chicago nursing home lawyers at Levin & Perconti are well aware of the potential for neglect at nursing facilities when the business-side of the enterprise completely overwhelms the quality of care. With vulnerable elderly residents involved, the quality of care given at these facilities should never be sacrificed in an attempt to save cash. But when money becomes especially scare at these facilities, nursing home officials often panic and resort to arcane budget reduction measures.

For example, nursing staff and nursing assistants are often reduced in order to save on employment costs. But the reductions can go too far, because Illinois nursing home law requires that each resident be given a certain minimum amount of nursing care each day. Our attorneys continue to watch local facilities to ensure that these and similar requirements are met. Please contact our office if you suspect that the care at a local nursing home is being sacrificed.

Study Reveals Palliative Care Helps Extend Patient Life

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 09:05:47 -0600

An article in The Gazette, a monthly publication of the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, pointed to an interesting new study that suggests new methods that may help extend the life of cancer victims in nursing homes.

The research out of the New England Journal of Medicine specifically found that “palliative care” extended the length and quality of life of patients who had been diagnosed with lung cancer. According to GetPalliativeCare.org, the treatment is a medical specialty that includes a variety of techniques to improve the quality of life of patents facing serious illness. It focuses on intense communication with the patient, managing of pain, and coordination with personal development.

In other words, palliative care includes all of the components to patient care besides the basic treatments of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. The treatment is often confused with hospice care. While hospice care typically involves some palliative care, the two are not synonymous.

The research cited in the article revealed that patients with fast-growing lung cancer were happier and lived three months longer if they received treatment that included a palliative care component. In this case, the palliative care included pain management, legal support, religious support, and other services.

Our Chicago nursing home lawyers at Levin & Perconti fully endorse any strategy that is shown to improve the quality of life of residents living in these medical care facilities. Many residents ultimately receive abysmal treatment when forced to suffer at a bad nursing home. At many of these negligent facilities, even life-saving medical care is mismanaged, leading to injury and death.

Yet, it is important to remember that a nursing facility should provide more than just bare-bones medical care to keep an elderly resident alive. Instead, these facilities need to understand that elderly residents are often vibrant, mentally active, eager members of society who need stimulation, challenge, and excitement just as any other person does. Those needs and desires do not end once someone moves into a nursing home or once they are diagnosed with a serious illness. As this study suggests, providing those extra components of care can actually have health benefits. All nursing homes should explore whether their facility can use this new research to improve the quality of lives of their residents.

Illinois Nursing Home Violation: Fox River Pavilion

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:46:38 -0600

The Fox River Pavilion, a care facility in Aurora, recently received several Type “A” Violations from the Illinois Department of Public Health and was fined $20,000. The violations resulted from failure to provide proper facilities for its residents and allowing another resident to physically attack several others in the facility in a particularly egregious form of nursing home negligence.

First, the nursing home was failed to provide basic accommodations—a suitable bed—for one of its residents. This particular resident was 6 feet, 8 inches tall. The bed that he was forced to sleep in, however, was too short, forcing his head to hit the top of the bed stand. In addition, he was not allowed sheets of sufficient size to cover his entire body. Besides that, IIllinois nursing home investigators uncovered troubling information about a particularly violent male resident who physically attacked several female residents at Fox Pavilion.

These violations are not the first signs of trouble at Fox River. Earlier this year a resident at the facility was killed after an argument between himself and his roommate. Nursing home administrators failed to prevent the altercation. As a result of the deadly incident, federal authorities stopped its government funding of the facility.

Our Chicago nursing home lawyers at Levin & Perconti have experience fighting for victims of negligent nursing home care. Be sure to contact them or any similar attorney if you know of violations similar to the one at Fox River Pavilion.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators. To access the IDPH report on this violation, please click the link.

Nursing Assistant Charged With Stealing Pain Patches from Residents

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:36:01 -0600

The Foster’s Daily Democrat wrote this week about developments in a case involving nursing home theft. A former nursing assistant at the Riverside Rest Home was denied bail recently after being arresting for stealing medication from patients at the facility.

Twenty-four year old Alesha Neault worked at Riverside until her arrest this June. Her role was to provide a variety of basic care to the elderly residents, assisting licensed nurses with medically-based tasks. Part of that work involved handling medication for some of the residents. As authorities eventually uncovered, she abused her position at the facility to support her own illegal drug habit.

Specifically, Ms. Neault was found to have stolen Fentanyl patches that had been prescribed to two patients at Riverside. This was a particularly egregious theft of medication, because it was not only an illegal theft, but it directly deprived the patients to whom it was actually prescribed. Medical care professionals are often found to have stolen medication from hospital storage. While illegal, that conduct does not directed harm patients to who need the medication. In this case, Neault was not only willing to break the law to support to addiction, but had no qualms about allowing her theft to deprive patients of medication who actually had ongoing pain that needed control. They were forced to suffer through the pain.

Obviously these examples of nursing home abuse are appalling, and the offending employee should be punished to the full extent of the law. However, as our Chicago nursing home attorneys at Levin & Perconti are well aware, these cases of individual lawbreaking are often indicative of larger problems with the management of nursing facilities. When staffing decisions are made quickly or with lax standards, negligent and abusive employees like Aslesha Neault are invited to wreak havoc on the lives of residents. That should never be allowed. Please contact a nursing home lawyer if you have had any experience with unqualified nursing staff members.

Illinois Nursing Home Under Investigation For Abuse

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 10:50:56 -0600

The News-Tribune posted a story last weekend about recent investigations by the Illinois Department of Public Health after a complaint was filed against an employee at the La Salle County nursing home. Details about the complaint are minimal, because the investigation is ongoing. However, it is known that a certified nursing assistant at the facility is claimed to have committed some act of sexual abuse on a resident.

This is not the first hint of problems at this particular Illinois facility. Over the past two years, the home has experienced other molestation incidents—involving residents abusing other residents. In addition, the financial decisions made by the administrators have been questioned. In one instance the nursing home committee of the county board ignored required processes in state law when bidding on furniture for the facility.

With these recent problems is it no surprise that the La Salle County nursing home has lacked leadership—the previous administrator resigned earlier this month over disagreements about hiring powers. The string of management problems has led many on the La Salle County Board (which governs the nursing home) to look into privatization options.

The repeated problems at this county board institution are a sober reminder that both public and private elder care facilities suffer from abuse and neglect. Our Chicago nursing home lawyers at Levin & Perconti have been involved in legal fights involving abuse in various homes for the elderly. The La Salle example makes clear that nursing home abuse can run rampant in facilities run by governments without clear accountability standards. However, private institutions which seek to make a profit off these facilities are often just as willing to sacrifice the quality of care in order to save on the bottom line. No matter who runs these facilities, the appropriate resources must be expended to ensure that the level of care complies with the law and protects the rights of elderly residents.

Advocates Call Attention to Poor Care At Crestwood Terrace Nursing Home Near Chicago

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 07:25:55 -0600

The Illinois Nursing Home Care Act is the guiding law that sets standards of care for residents in nursing homes in the state. The law is intended to ensure that the vulnerable patients in these facilities receive a certain quality of care at all times. However, as our Chicago nursing home attorneys at Levin & Perconti have experienced first-hand, many homes fall far short of the standard obligated by law.

Recently, a group that advocates for the rights of Illinois nursing home residents protested in front a facility that has repeatedly failed to provide the basic care to its residents demanded by the law. As Chicago’s Breaking News Center reported, the group, Progress Center for Independent Living, demonstrated in front of the Crestwood Terrace Nursing Home. The facility, located southwest of Chicago, is claimed to have been particularly negligent in meeting its obligation to ensure that resides retain a sense of dignity in their living conditions.

Complaints at the facility include a wide-range of breaches of care. Some resident are not given their medication on time (or at all), some are denied visitors, and personal mail is often opened by staff members. Even the ability the walk around the grounds is often denied. One resident reports that other residents were allowed to steal his belongings—his dentures, hand brace and clothing—and nothing was done to replace them for months. A spokesman for the group organizing the protest claimed, “There are so many violations regarding basic rights of the patients at this home, it is beyond comprehension.”

As CiteHealth notes, even the self-reported care given to residents at Crestwood is failing. The amount of daily care time that a resident receives from certified nursing assistants, vocational nurses, and regular staff members are all much lower than the average at Crestwood.

The advocacy group also notes that the facility makes it virtually impossible for a resident to save up enough money to live on their own. With Social Security checks going directly to the facility, each patient is ultimately given only $30 out of that check for their own purposes. This extreme limiting of personal income creates a dependency on the facility that a resident is unlikely ever to break.

If you know of any similar abuses at a facility near you, please contact a nursing home attorney to help put an end to the negligent treatment.

Nursing Home Patients Signed Up for Insurance Without Their Knowledge

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 07:51:40 -0600

Nursing home abuse and exploitation takes many forms. The vulnerability of many of our elderly residents at these facilities make them prime targets for anyone who wishes to force themselves upon them because of their often mentally or physically weakness. The abuse can be physical, sexual, emotional, mental, or even financial.

For example, a recent case reported at Alabama Local News involves four nursing home residents being involuntarily enrolled in insurance programs that they did not want.

Officials in the state arrested Kimberly Bisslessi Eddins last week after evidence surfaced showing that she signed up four separate residents of the nursing home Coventry Health Care for insurance. In order to receive the commissions on the sales of these insurance packages, Eddins secretly signed up the vulnerable patients for insurance coverage starting in late 2008. In total, the fraudulent sales netted Eddins over $3,800 in commissions and cost the residents untold fees in premiums.

In is unclear form the report exactly how Eddins was able to access the necessary information from the residents to make the illegal sign-ups. She had gathered their names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers.

This latest form of exploitation of the elderly is just another example to be added to the many that our Chicago nursing home attorneys at Levin & Perconti have seen after decades of fighting for abused residents at these facilities. Most residents are brought into nursing homes specifically because it is assumed that they are too vulnerable to avoid injury, and exploitation if they remain living without close supervision. However, as this and countless other examples demonstrate, the vulnerabilities of these residents continue to be taken advantage of while livining in long-term care facilities. In fact, being forced to live in substandard nursing facilities makes it even more likely that a residents’ mental or physical state will be exploited. Be sure to keep a close eye on all the activities of your elderly loved ones, and contact a nursing home lawyer today if you suspect any problems with their care.

Financial Expert Explains Nursing Home Finance Planning

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 11:03:50 -0600

The Record Searchlight posted an insightful article this week discussing some financial ins and outs regarding nursing home care. The discussion begins by explaining that many Americans often overlook the financial component of skilled nursing home stays.

Nearly one out of every three Americans will spend at least some time in a skilled nursing facility. The reasons for the stay vary widely, but one of the most common is to recuperate following extended surgery. Interestingly, men average much shorter stays at these facilities than women. The typical male skilled nursing home resident will stay at the facility for nine months, while the average female resident has a three year stay.

One reason for the difference is that men typically die earlier than woman. As men age, their wives are often still around to care for them at home. The surviving wives often do not have a spouse to provide skilled care, necessitating longer times in nursing facilities.

Considering the high use of skilled nursing facilities, it is important for all elderly individuals to consider the possible financial costs of residing in one of these homes. On average, the stay will cost around $75,000 a year. As the article mentions, a combination of Medicare and Medicare supplement insurance (Medigap) typically covers the first 100 days of care at a nursing facility following three-day stays at a hospital. After that initial 100 days, however, the financial dynamics change.

Individual long-term care insurance would cover the additional expense, but that must have been acquired well-ahead of the time the resident actually needs to reside in the facility. Without that, residents much either pay the costs themselves or hope to qualify for government Medicaid programs. The government system is based entirely on financial need, calculated according to a combination of factors.

Our Chicago nursing home attorneys at Levin & Perconti understand the perilous financial situation faced by many elderly individuals in need of long-term nursing home care. We encourage all those seniors and their families to plan ahead for the possible financial implications of these decisions. Be sure to consult experts in the nursing home laws of your state to ensure that you are on proper legal footing with all of your decisions.

Medication Error At Nursing Home Causes Brain Damage

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 07:27:07 -0600

A jury this week awarded $3.1 million dollars plus still-to-be-determined punitive damages following a nursing home lawsuit, according to the Orange County Register.

Barbara Lefforge was literally at the St. Edna Subacute & Rehabilitation Center for half a day—only 5 ½ hours—before they made a costly medication error that nearly ended Barbara’s life. She was at the facility to recover from tendon repair surgery. Her doctor erroneously prescribed 50mg of morphine, instead of the 50 mg of Demerol. The nursing home personnel at St. Edna’s were alerted to the mistake by the pharmacist, noting that the dosage was too high. Nursing home staff members were unable to get the full dosage from the pharmacist, but they didn’t take that as a warning sign. Instead, they grabbed 30mg of morphine from the office’s emergency medication kit and gave that to Barbara.

The negative effects of the overdose were visible shortly after Barbara took the medication. However, instead of taking her to get treatment immediately, nursing home staff did nothing. She wasn’t brought to the hospital until the following morning when she was barely breathing. By the time they arrived the damage had accelerated; the delay resulted in brain damage.

St. Edna’s is owned by Covenant Care, a conglomerate which owns 25 separate facilities in the state. St. Edna’s did not have a track record of prioritizing patient safety. They were previously one of only a handful of nursing homes that accepted extra state money, $15 million, while cutting staff and services at the same time.

Our Chicago nursing home attorneys at Levin & Perconti continue to be saddened by the basic breaches of care at nursing homes. Failing to understand the risks of morphine overdose on top of an inability to rush a distressed individual to the hospital are mistakes that all too often have deadly consequences. The only way to hold these facilities accountable and ensure that future residents do not fall victim to the same abuse is to force the business to pay for its errors and make changes to ensure that the problem is corrected.

State Pays $16 Million in Nursing Home Lawsuit

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 11:11:44 -0600

The Washington Post published a story yesterday on the latest development in a large class-action nursing home lawsuit out of Maryland. On Wednesday the state began paying $16 million to various nursing homes and their residents as part of a settlement from a nursing home lawsuit filed in 2005.

The lawsuit involved the improper methods that the state used to gauge the ability of nursing home residents to pay for their own care without government assistance. According to the lawsuit, state officials erroneously inflated the income of certain nursing home residents. The state consequently used that inflation to refuse to provide supplemental financial support to offset the cost of their medical care at nursing homes.

Specifically, both state law and federal law required the state to consider the debt that a resident accrues while awaiting approval for Medicaid coverage as part of the calculation into their ability to pay for their own care without government support. Yet, officials did not factor this adverse financial burden into assessing resident finances. As a result of their mistake, many nursing home residents were left in severe financial straits—needing nursing home care but unable to pay for all of those services without some assistance from state welfare agencies.

In total almost 12,000 current and former residents were affected by the violation of nursing home law. The settlement will attempt to provide relief to those victimized by the legal wrong. Besides that basic fair compensation the resolution of the case also shone a light on the problem, ensuring that from now on the state will make changes to its calculation of funding. In that way, future nursing home residents are spared the stress and heartache of trying to survive while being denied legally obligated medical funds.

As this case demonstrates, and as our Chicago nursing home lawyers at Levin & Perconti have learned, lawsuits can serve an important social function. Besides attempting to correct a wrong to a particular resident, these lawsuits often serve as wake-up calls to extremely negligent conduct. In that way, future harm is prevented and the system of care is improved for all.

Receptionist Steals Funds From Nursing Home Residents

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 08:33:30 -0600

Yesterday we posted an example of elder financial abuse involving the complex swindling a Chicago area senior citizen. In that case, the retiree was cajoled out of $500,000 after investing money with a con-man whom he assumed was using the funds to develop a construction business.

Today, the St. Petersburg Times discusses another form of senior financial exploitation on the other end of the spectrum—the outright theft of money from nursing home resident accounts.

Until her firing yesterday, Janice Lynn Smith was the receptionist at Heritage Park, a nursing home near Miami. As with many other employees at nursing homes, Smith was in a position to gain access to the accounts of the nursing home residents. Apparently, the ability to steal from these vulnerable residents at the facility was too much for her to resist.

Smith began taking money out of the trust funds of four residents at the facility, all of whom were over 85 years old. In the end, she withdrew nearly $4,000 from these resident accounts and put it in her own pocket. Fortunately, other nursing home staff noticed problems with the trust accounts. The nursing home administrator began investigating the problem, ultimately revealing the truth about Smith and the theft.

In most cases of elder financial abuse, the problem goes unreported and victims are never compensated for their losses. Many states, including Illinois, have recently begun programs to help stem the wave of elder abuse problems, but much work remains before the problem is truly extinguished.

Our Chicago nursing home lawyers at Levin & Perconti spend our time fighting for nursing home residents because we understand their vulnerability while living at these facilities. Elderly residents often depend on nursing home staff members to help both with their physical well-being as well as their financial well-being. Any facility that allows its staff members to take advantage of that vulnerability for personal gain needs to be held accountable for their negligence.