When residents of New Mexico and other states place their loved ones in a nursing home, they expect the facility’s staff to be competent, caring and trustworthy. Sadly, that expectation is not always met.
For example, on Oct. 25, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced that it has fined a Quincy nursing home for failing to prevent a staff member from sexually abusing multiple residents. The staff member, who worked as a chaplain at the facility, was arrested on June 24 after he was accused of abusing two residents. During the course of the investigation, officers from the Quincy Police Department learned that he may have also sexually abused two female family members who were under the age of 18 and 13. He was charged with those crimes on July 8.
In September, the defendant pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a victim over 60 and sentenced to 14 years in prison. He received four days credit for time served. His former employer, Good Samaritan Nursing Home, was fined $25,000 by Illinois for failing to protect its residents from abuse and failing to use its abuse policy to prevent the defendant from having access to the facility’s residents.
Nursing home abuse can take many forms, including battery and other types of physical abuse. Families who suspect their loved one might be the victim of elder abuse at the hands of nursing home staff might benefit from contacting an attorney. The attorney could assess the situation and explain all legal remedies available. One possible solution could be to file a lawsuit against the nursing home. This could result in a settlement that covers pain and suffering, medical expenses, and mental anguish.
