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The effect understaffing has on nursing home residents

Understaffing is a significant issue in nursing homes across Illinois and the nation. There are many reasons for understaffing, ranging from costs to high staff turnover rates. And now, Illinois lawmakers are working to increase the consequences nursing homes face for understaffing. Higher penalties may motivate nursing homes to make a change since understaffing has some of the most notable effects on nursing home abuse rates. Here is a summary of the damages understaffing causes. Lack of staff means a lack of adequate care Families who entrust their elderly loved ones into the care of nursing homes expect their loved ones to receive...

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The basics of property division in Illinois

Splitting up property during a divorce can be the root cause of many heated disputes. How do couples already at odds decide who stays in the family home, or how to distribute bank accounts? Here is a quick look at how property division works in Illinois to find out. Determine what is marital property Couples only have to divide marital property during their divorce. And state law classifies anything that each spouse owned before the marriage as separate property. Separate property also includes any gifts or inheritances in one individual's name. On the other hand, marital property includes anything that the spouses purchased...

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Have higher speed limits made roads less safe?

One of the basic rules we learn when we start driving as a teenager is to obey the speed limit. Maintaining a safe speed is one of the easiest things a driver can do to avoid accidents -- and a traffic ticket. However, people still speed. And it's not just going over the legal limit that puts them at risk of getting in a crash. Increasing speed limits across the country mean that people may not get a ticket for going over the limit, but they could still get into an accident when they are driving dangerously fast. Higher speeds, more fatalities According...

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What does provoking a dog look like?

After a dog bites someone, there can be two sides to the story: the victim's and the dog owner's. Often, the owner claims that the victim provoked the dog, while the victim denies he or she did anything wrong. Determining whether someone provoked an animal before a biting or attack incident can be more complicated than people might think. This is especially true when the victim is a child and does not understand how his or her actions might affect a dog. However, because establishing whether there was provocation is important for many reasons, we explain what provocation might look like...

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Volvo adds cameras to prevent drunk, distracted driving crashes

Cars today are safer than they have ever been. However, there are still tens of thousands of people killed in motor vehicle accidents every year. Millions more suffer serious injuries. One reason for this is that cars can only do so much of the work in keeping motorists safe; drivers must also prioritize safe driving. As a result, automakers are currently working to develop new technology to prevent unsafe driving behavior from causing accidents. Recently, for instance, Volvo announced it would equip their vehicles with cameras in an effort to curb drunk and distracted driving. How cameras could help According to details on...

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Nursing home violations to result in lower fines

Nursing homes are supposed to be places where our vulnerable loved ones receive the care they need from people who treat them with dignity and compassion. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen at every facility. Too often, nursing homes patients are mistreated, overmedicated and ignored as a result of issues like staffing shortages and financial cuts. While these situations can lead to safety and health infractions by a nursing home, recent changes by the Trump administration has lowered the penalties for the infractions. This could further compromise the care patients receive (or don't receive). What are the changes? As explained in more detail in this...

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Who besides an owner might be liable for dog bite injuries?

Dogs are animals, and as such, they are capable of doing things like biting people. Provoked or not, they have responses and instincts that we don't always understand and cannot always control. As such, people have a responsibility to take reasonable measures to secure animals and minimize the risk that they could attack or bite anyone. Often, it is an animal's owner that has the legal obligation to control his or her pet. However, there could be other people liable in the event of an animal attack. Other parties who may be liable In most cases, the owner of an animal will be...

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Addressing a pet’s care during and after probate

Recently, fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld passed away at the age of 85. Among the many details of his estate, which is estimated to be worth $300 million, is the fact that Lagerfeld reportedly included his cat in his will. Pet owners here in Illinois may feel inclined to make similar decisions when it comes to their estate plan. As such, while your loved one's pet may not stand to benefit from a multi-million-dollar estate, there will likely be pet-related details you will need to address during probate. Below are some tips to make this a little easier. Check the owner's will....

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If your children’s needs are met, why must you pay child support?

During your divorce process, there are many things you and your soon-to-be ex need to determine. You will have to figure out how to divide your property, decide what kind of child custody arrangement will work best and agree on child support. Both of you probably already feel as though you support your children physically, emotionally, spiritually and intellectually. So, if you decide to share parenting time, you may wonder why child support payments might still be necessary. What expenses does child support cover? Some people may be of the belief that you should only have to pay child support to cover immediate...

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Important facts to know to avoid dog bites, attacks

Over a third of all households in the U.S. have at least one dog. Meaning that whether you are one of these households or not, you don't have to look very hard to find a dog. Considering how easily and often people can encounter dogs, it is crucial to have a basic understanding of how to stay safe around them. This means knowing why dogs bite in the first place, as well as what behaviors you should avoid and how to approach a dog properly. Why dogs bite in the first place Dogs are animals, and their primary defense mechanism is to bite....

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