Articles Posted in nursing home neglect

Older adults living in nursing homes face unique social and emotional challenges. For many, moving into a long-term care setting means leaving a lifelong home, familiar community, and established routines. While nursing homes provide necessary medical care and supervision, the quality of a resident’s social life often determines their mental health, physical wellness, and overall…

When a loved one suffers poor treatment in a nursing home, including neglect, abuse, or violations of state and federal standards, filing a formal complaint with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is often the first critical step toward accountability and reform. This guide explains how the complaint process works, why it matters, what…

Hip and pelvic fractures are among the most devastating injuries a nursing home resident can suffer. For elderly individuals, many of whom already struggle with limited mobility, chronic illness, or cognitive impairment, these fractures often mark the beginning of a rapid and irreversible decline. In far too many cases, what should have been a preventable…

Placing an aging parent in a nursing home can be one of the most emotionally and financially challenging decisions a family confronts. Many adult children worry not only about their parent’s well-being but also about whether they will be held responsible for paying huge nursing home bills. Long-term care in a nursing facility often runs…

Holiday visits to a loved one in a nursing home should be a time of connection, warmth, and comfort. Unfortunately, what begins as a cheerful reunion can sometimes lead to the distressing discovery of an injury or signs of neglect. When you uncover such issues, whether it’s bruising, unexplained pain, a fall injury, or signs…

On December 2–3, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an interim final rule removing the federal requirement that Medicare- and Medicaid-participating nursing homes maintain a registered nurse (RN) on-site 24 hours per day and rescinding the minimum-hours-per-resident-day staffing floors that had been adopted in 2024. The change reverses the 2024 rule…

Holiday periods such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s consistently strain nursing homes that already struggle with chronic staffing shortages. When facilities operate with too few nurses or certified nursing assistants (CNAs), or rely heavily on temporary agency staff who are unfamiliar with residents, the quality of care can quickly deteriorate. Missed medications, delayed assistance,…

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common in older adults and in nursing homes they’re one of the leading infection problems staff and families encounter. What many people don’t realize is how quickly a simple UTI can become life-threatening sepsis in frail residents, and how missed signs or delays in treatment dramatically increase risk. In this…

Sepsis is not an illness that “waits its turn.” It is a life-threatening organ-dysfunction caused by the body’s extreme response to infection, and in older adults, especially nursing home residents, sepsis can develop quickly and carry a high risk of death or long-term disability. How long someone can survive with untreated sepsis depends on many…

When families place their loved ones in a nursing home, they expect compassionate care, medical attention, and respect. Unfortunately, negligence in nursing homes is far too common, often resulting in serious injuries, illnesses, and even death. Nursing home negligence occurs when a facility or staff member fails to provide the level of care that a…