When a loved one is admitted to a Chicago-area nursing home, the stack of paperwork families are handed often includes an arbitration clause — a provision that strips residents of their right to sue in court if they are ever harmed. These clauses are common,...

When a family member needs long-term care, choosing the right facility can feel overwhelming. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Five-Star Quality Rating System gives families a standardized, publicly available way to evaluate nursing homes across...

Hospice care abuse in home settings occurs when terminally ill patients—often recently transitioned out of a Chicago nursing facility—are neglected, mistreated, or exploited in non-institutional environments where caregiver oversight is far more limited. If your loved...

Wandering and elopement are among the most dangerous risks faced by nursing home residents, particularly those with dementia or cognitive impairments. In Chicago and throughout Cook County, harsh winters, busy streets, and dense urban environments make wandering...

During the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing homes across Illinois restricted visitation in the name of safety. While many of those emergency measures have ended, the emotional fallout has not. In Chicago and throughout Cook County, families continue to report signs of...

Sexual abuse in nursing homes is one of the most underreported forms of elder abuse. When it occurs, families are often shocked not only by the misconduct itself, but by how difficult it can be to report, investigate, and stop. In Chicago and throughout Cook County,...

Medication theft in nursing homes is a severe and often hidden form of abuse that can have serious consequences for your loved one. In Chicago, medication theft has been linked to sudden health declines, untreated pain, overdoses, and even death. Families are often...

Understaffing can lead to neglect and abuse for residents of nursing homes due to staff being overworked, tired, and lacking adequate time to take care of residents effectively. Illinois has a long history of minimum staffing requirements, but in 2025, financial...

When families place a loved one in a nursing home or assisted living facility, they expect that person to be safe, respected, and treated with dignity. While loved ones know to be on the lookout for physical abuse and neglect, financial abuse is often overlooked, as...

Nursing home neglect is often caused by chronic understaffing. When a facility fails to hire enough caregivers, residents’ basic needs, such as meals, medications, and hygiene, are not met. Across Chicago and Illinois, residents are suffering preventable injuries,...