Illinois at a Glance

IDPH licenses, regulates, and inspects Illinois nursing homes under the Nursing Home Care Act, conducting roughly 10,000 surveys a year.

• Licenses and inspects roughly 1,200 Illinois long-term care facilities
• Runs the Central Complaint Registry hotline: 1-800-252-4343
• Nursing Home Care Act appears at 210 ILCS 45

Visit the state agency site →

Families can speak with a Illinois nursing home lawyer to understand if rights may have been violated.

Illinois resident rights include:

• Right to manage their own financial affairs
• Right to wear their own clothes and keep personal possessions
• Right to be free from abuse and neglect
• Right to be free from chemical and physical restraints except by physician’s order
• Right to confidential records
• Right to be informed of their condition and refuse treatment
• Right to choose their own physician
• Right to private communication and visits
• Right to practice their religion
• Right to remain in the facility except as the Act allows for transfer or discharge
• Right to present grievances without retaliation — retaliation is directly banned (§ 2-120)
• Right to minimum staffing based on the level of care
• Right to sue the facility and recover damages, costs, and attorney’s fees (§§ 3-601, 3-602)

Source: Illinois Nursing Home Care Act, 210 ILCS 45 (Resident Rights)

Phone: 1-800-252-8966
Website: https://ilaging.illinois.gov/programs/ltcombudsman.html

Learn more about nursing home ombudsmen →

If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. To report nursing home abuse or neglect in Illinois, contact the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Families can:

• Call the IDPH Nursing Home Hotline at 1-800-252-4343 or file online through the IDPH complaint portal
• Contact the Long-Term Care Ombudsman at 1-800-252-8966
• Report suspected crimes to local law enforcement

Include the facility name, resident name, dates, injuries, witnesses, and photos if available.

Full reporting guide →

Families may be able to sue an Illinois nursing home when poor care caused injury or death. Illinois’s Nursing Home Care Act — one of the nation’s strongest — lets residents sue facilities directly, and facilities can be made to pay attorney’s fees.

Common claims include:

• Personal injury: The resident was harmed by neglect or abuse.
• Wrongful death: Poor care contributed to the resident’s death.

Illinois has strict legal deadlines, so families should speak with a nursing home abuse lawyer as soon as possible. Don’t wait — get started right now.

Free case review →

Nursing home settlements and trial verdicts in Illinois can vary depending on the situation. Some cases have resulted in payouts of more than $1 million.

See nursing home settlement amounts in Illinois →