A new April 2025 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report flags persistent quality and enforcement problems in state veterans’ homes that receive VA oversight and funding. For families evaluating Illinois VA nursing home care, updated VA ratings show why attention—and advocacy—still matter.
Here’s what veterans and their families need to know about the VA’s enforcement issues and how they could impact nursing home care in Illinois.
What Did the April 2025 GAO Report Find?
The GAO report determined that the VA has not fully implemented the office’s previous recommendation to develop more enforcement actions that could help it bring state veterans homes into compliance with its quality standards. Some main points include:
- The VA did implement other GAO recommendations. This includes improving its data analysis systems, improving oversight of corrective action plans, and formalizing changes to its oversight procedures.
- The VA still lacks adequate enforcement capabilities. The VA’s only enforcement mechanism is completely withholding per diem funding from a facility, an option it hasn’t even considered using for more than a decade because it is perceived as too harsh. In contrast, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) can issue civil fines, deny payment for new residents, implement on-site monitoring, and even terminate facilities from Medicare and Medicaid.
- Many state VA nursing home facilities are chronically non-compliant. The GAO found that over 40% of VA nursing homes inspected in 2019 and 2021 failed to meet the same quality standard in both years. While most deficiencies were minor, more than 21% of those not fixed by the due date in their corrective action plan were determined to have caused actual harm.
- The VA shifted gears away from adding teeth to its enforcement. VA officials told the GAO this year that the department abandoned plans to seek legislative authority for more enforcement options, instead revamping its enforcement plan in 2024 to have stricter timelines and more follow-up. However, the VA still has no feasible ways to ensure compliance with quality standards.
Though CMS also inspects most state VA nursing home facilities, families should be concerned that the VA’s inability to compel homes to comply with quality standards risks subjecting veterans to subpar or neglectful care.
How Do VA Nursing Home Ratings Look in Chicago, IL?
The VA’s Community Living Center (CLC) Compare Report rates each nursing home using the average of three metrics on a five-star scale: The results of state health surveys, adequacy of staffing based on daily care hours per resident, and quality of resident care.
There are about 40 Chicago-area facilities listed on the VA’s nursing home care search page, including VA CLCs, state-run veterans homes, and private nursing homes that contract with the VA. As of the latest VA update for the Chicago area:
- Chicago, IL CLC – 820 S. Damen Ave. — 5-star
- Hines IL CLC – Roosevelt Rd., Hines — 5-star
- North Chicago, IL CLC – Green Bay Rd., North Chicago — 5-star
- Illinois Veterans Home (Chicago) – 4250 N. Oak Park Ave. — No rating posted
- Illinois Veterans’ Home (Manteno) – One Veterans Drive, Manteno — No rating posted
Why Should Illinois Veterans and Families Care?
When facilities face few consequences for missing corrective-action deadlines, problems like poor infection control, unsafe staffing levels, medication errors, and fall risks can persist longer than they should. For families, that means closer monitoring and faster escalation when care falls short.
When Illinois VA nursing homes ignore threats to their residents or refuse to provide them the care they deserve, it’s important to seek legal help to ensure neglectful facilities are held accountable. If you’re concerned about VA nursing home neglect in Illinois, speak with an attorney as soon as possible for guidance.
How Levin & Perconti Protects Veterans and Nursing Home Residents
The trusted legal team at Levin & Perconti is a pioneer in nursing home abuse litigation, boasting some of the nation’s first attorneys to handle this type of case. With over 30 years of practice and over 400 years of combined legal experience, we’ve honed the most effective and aggressive strategies for holding nursing homes accountable and getting victims and their families the compensation they deserve.
We’ve recovered over $1 billion in total verdicts and settlements on behalf of our clients. Our significant Illinois nursing home abuse case results include:
- A record $4.1 million verdict for the family of a woman who suffered a stroke after staff wrongfully ordered her to stop a blood-thinning medication
- A $2.77 million verdict for the family of a man who died after a serious fall caused by the facility’s negligence
If you or a loved one needs help getting justice for VA nursing home neglect in Illinois, contact us online or call 877-374-1417 today for a free consultation.
