Rampant Abuse of the Elderly: The Tribune Investigates

A three part series published by the Chicago Tribune this month exposed the mistakes made by Illinois nursing homes when caring for the elderly.

Mixed with the older nursing home patients were mentally ill felons. A dangerous combination of incomplete background checks on the younger criminals, low staffing, and a breakdown in reporting of assaults and crimes committed in the facilities

Illinois nursing homes have a good safety record, said Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford, but he added that "the issue has always been people with criminal records -- what screening and what protections do you put in place. That will be looked at."

State Senate committees are currently meeting to fully investigate the matter and raise the standards for processing mentally ill criminals.

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Home Care Nurse takes Advantage of Elder

Michelle Stokes hired Lora Huffine to care for her ailing 93 year old mother. Michelle conducted an interview with Huffine, but decided against running a background check. "All I went on was that she had 24 years of care," Stokes said.

Huffine was found guilty of cashing a check that was sent to the Stokes' household for over $3,000. This wasn't her first offense. A background check would have told Stokes that Huffine pleaded guilty to four counts of a six-count indictment, all fifth-degree felonies of forgery, according to court records. Another forgery case against Huffine in 2000 in Delaware County was dismissed.

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