In recent months, Illinois group homes have come under fire as several incidents involving nursing home abuse and neglect have surfaced. This includes a particularly eye-opening report in the Chicago Tribune that highlighted the fact that Illinois has been allegedly hiding cases of abuse and neglect involving disabled individuals living in group homes throughout the state.
Now, according to The Edwardsville Intelligencer, a new incident involving this issue has come to light. Reportedly, after the network of Illinois group homes that housed them lost its license because of safety concerns, six developmentally disabled people went missing. As of this writing, three of the people who went missing have been found. One showed up outside his former group home and another was found wandering the streets of Chicago. The report did not mention where the third person was discovered. The three people who are still missing are residents of Disability Services of Illinois.
Is Disability Services of Illinois Obstructing the Search for the Missing Residents?
Disability Services of Illinois has been accused of hindering the investigation into locating the missing residents. The resident who was discovered on the streets of Chicago told the Department of Human Services that the CEO for the network of homes that operates Disability Services of Illinois offered to find him a job if he did not move out of the group home. He also confessed that he was afraid that Disability Services of Illinois would punish him, because he helped caseworkers in their search for missing residents.
The story in the Intelligencer also mentioned other allegations against Disability Services of Illinois, including:
- Employees telling residents to turn off the lights and hide when caseworkers came to the front door of the group home.
- Residents being hidden in hotels in Indiana when caseworkers visited. Reportedly, the residents were told that they were being taken to the hotels, because people were threatening to kidnap them.
The fact that nursing home abuse and neglect is still going on in Illinois group homes following the Chicago Tribune article, which brought light to the issue, speaks to how difficult this problem will be to solve. As authorities in Illinois work to get this issue under control, the best option for nursing home abuse victims and their families may be to file a personal injury claim against those responsible for their pain and suffering. Let our dedicated Missouri nursing home abuse lawyers help you with your claim. Call us today!
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