August 14, 2006

NURSING HOME VIOLATIONS FOR THE MONTH OF MAY

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Illinois Department of Public Health today announced the following type “A” violations of the Nursing Home Care Act were cited during the month of May. An “A” violation, which is the most serious licensure violation imposed by the state, pertains to a condition in which there is a substantial probability that death or serious mental or physical harm will result.

The Arlington Rehab & Living Center, a 184-bed skilled care facility located at 1666 Checker Road, Long Grove, has been fined $5,000 for failure to supervise a cognitively impaired resident who left the facility unaccompanied by staff. The resident was found, 15 to 20 minutes later, in the middle of a busy road. The facility has requested a hearing on the Department's action. A pre-hearing in the case has been held and negotiations are ongoing.

Colonial Plaza, a 16-bed long term care facility for the developmentally disabled located at 618 West Goodner, Nashville, has been fined $40,000 for failure to follow its plan of correction from the September 2005 survey, by failing to assure that all clients were provided with preventive and general medical care, and by failing to ensure that the health needs of individuals were being met on an on-going basis. Specifically, the facility neglected to ensure nursing services meet the health needs of a resident having an identified chronic medical problem. The facility has requested a hearing on the Department’s action. A status hearing was held in the case.

Evergreen Nursing & Rehab Center, a 120-bed skilled care facility located at 1115 N. Wenthe, Effingham, has been fined $25,000 for failure to provide adequate supervision and assistance for a resident who died due to positional asphyxia which was the result of getting caught in a bed rail. The facility has requested a hearing on the Department’s action. A status hearing has been scheduled for August 31.

Fairview Baptist Home, a 232-bed skilled and sheltered care facility located at 250 Village Drive, Downers Grove, has been fined $30,000 for failure to continually assess, monitor and document the injuries and complaints of pain by residents. The facility also failed to notify the residents’ doctors about a change in their conditions resulting from injuries. One resident suffered a fractured hip and the other suffered a leg fracture. The resident with the leg fracture died three days after suffering further injury to the same leg. The facility has requested a hearing on the Department’s action. A pre-hearing in the case has been held and a status hearing is set for October 19.

Glenwood Healthcare & Rehab, a 184-bed skilled care facility located at 19330 S. Cottage Grove, Glenwood, has been fined $5,000 for failure to adequately supervise and monitor a resident identified at risk for trying to leave the facility. The resident, who was wearing an electronic monitoring device, left the facility without staff knowledge. A concerned citizen contact police after encountering the resident approximately one mile from the facility, looking lost. The facility has requested a hearing on the Department’s action. A pre-hearing has been held and negotiations are ongoing.

Harrisburg Care Center, a 68-bed skilled care facility located at 1000 W. Sloan, Harrisburg,has been fined $5,000 for failure to prevent excessively hot water at resident accessible fixtures. Water temperatures registered between 135 degrees to 146 degrees Fahrenheit. A review of the facility incident reports for the previous six months did not indicate any injuries from hot water, but residents complained that the water in the sinks was too hot to wash hands or shampoo hair. The facility has not requested a hearing on the Department’s action.

Heartland Health Care Center-Canton, a 98-bed skilled and sheltered care facility located at 2081 N. Main Street, Canton, has been fined $10,000 for failure to prevent the ongoing mental abuse of a resident by a facility staff member. The facility failed to follow their Abuse Prohibition Policy by not reporting multiple incidents of abuse witnessed by several other staff members during a five month period, thus subjecting the resident to continued abuse. The facility has requested a hearing on the Department’s action. A status hearing has been scheduled on August 30.

Heritage Manor-Gibson City, a 75-bed skilled care facility located at 620 E. First Street, Gibson City, has been fined $60,000 for failure to comply with its plan of correction from the August 2005 survey by failing to ensure that its policies and procedures to notify the doctor about significant changes of a resident’s condition. Specifically, the facility failed to notify the doctor a resident sustained a head injury after a fall. Failure to notify the doctor and to fully monitor the resident resulted in a delay in treatment for the worsening head injury. The resident later died at the hospital, as a result of the fall. The facility has requested a hearing on the Department’s action. A pre-hearing has been held and negotiations are ongoing.

Independence Place, a 16-bed intermediate care facility for the developmentally disabled located at 1705 S. Park Avenue, Herrin, has been fined $25,000 for failure to implement their policy prohibiting neglect when they failed to develop and implement a nursing plan of care to address a resident’s increased risk for falls. The resident suffered a fall which resulted in multiple face fractures. The facility also failed to notify the resident's guardian of the fall and did not follow doctor’s orders to monitor the resident upon discharge after the fall. The facility requested a hearing on the Department’s action. A status hearing was continued until October 11.

Orchard Court, a 16-bed intermediate care facility for the developmentally disabled located at 1430 State Route 127 South, Jonesboro, has been fined $15,000 for failure to implement its own policy and procedures against abuse and neglect after they failed to provide necessary services to a resident. The resident has had 11 documented incidents of injuring the hand and/or wrist area with a razor or other objects. The facility failed to take necessary action to prevent reoccurrence. The facility has requested a hearing on the Department’s action. No hearing has been set.

Pinnacle Health Care LaGrange, a 131-bed skilled care facility located at 701 N. LaGrange Road, LaGrange, has been fined $20,000 for failure to assess, monitor and evaluate the emergency medical needs for a resident. The resident, who had a history of myocardinal infarction, CVA (cerebral vascular accident) and seizure disorder, suffered a grand mal seizure and later died. The facility has requested a hearing on the Department’s action. A pre-hearing conference was held and negotiations are ongoing.

Prairie View Care Center-Lewistown, a 99-bed skilled and intermediate care facility located at 175 E. Sycamore, Lewistown, has been fined $10,000 for failure to prevent the ongoing sexual relationship between a resident and staff member. The facility failed to follow its Abuse Prohibition Policy by allowing the staff member to continue to work after allegations were reported to the Director of Nurses. The facility has requested a hearing on the Department’s action. No hearing date has been set.

Rehab and Care Center-Jackson County, a 202-bed skilled care facility located at 1441 N. 14th Street, Murphysboro, has been fined $10,000 for failure to promptly complete a thorough and complete investigation into allegations of abuse of a resident. The facility also failed to implement any actions to protect other vulnerable residents from potential abuse during the same time span. The facility was told that someone at the facility had thrown a shoe at the resident and had dragged the resident on the floor. The hospital case manager also reported to the facility that the resident had a bruised chest. The facility has requested a hearing on the Department’s action. The matter is set for a hearing in November.

Terrace Nursing Home, a 115-bed skilled and intermediate care facility located at 1615 Sunset Avenue, Waukegan, has been fined $11,000 for failure to ensure that 24 residents at risk for abuse remain free from abuse by a staff person. The facility also failed to thoroughly investigate allegations of physical and verbal abuse by a staffer against a resident. This failure resulted in the resident suffering fear and exposure to verbal abuse by the staffer after the initial allegation of physical abuse and permitted the staffer to continue to verbally abuse other residents. The facility has not requested a hearing on the Department’s action.

Village Nursing Home, a 149-bed skilled and intermediate care facility located at 9000 La Vergne Avenue, Skokie, has been fined $6,000 for failure to adequately monitor and supervise a resident recently admitted to the facility with a history of confusion and leaving the facility several times from another nursing facility. The resident left the facility without staff knowledge. Staff notified police who later found the resident about 2 miles from the facility, wearing slippers and no coat. The facility has requested a hearing on the Department’s action. No final hearing has been set.

The Wealshire, a 144-bed skilled, intermediate and sheltered care facility located at 150 Jamestown Lane, Lincolnshire, has been fined $10,000 for failure to initiate Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation on a resident with doctor’s orders for a full code. This failure resulted in the resident being found in Cardiopulmonary Arrest upon arrival of an ambulance crew. The facility also failed to have current doctor’s “do not resuscitate” orders for three additional residents who had signed Advanced Directives. The facility has requested a hearing on the Department’s action. A pre-hearing has been scheduled for September 21.