February 23, 2010

Illinois Nursing Home Neglect: Department of Health Issues Nursing Home Citations

According to an article on MyWebTimes.com, the Illinois Department of Public Health has secured documents that indicate the owner of Camelot Terrace in Streator, Illinois might have tried to convince inspectors to change their reports to reflect positively on the condition of the nursing home. This came after inspectors found unsafe living conditions in the Illinois nursing home. The department of health has issued an “immediate jeopardy” citation for Camelot Terrace because of the presence of mold and termites throughout the nursing home’s living quarters. The IDPH classifies an immediate jeopardy citation as one that poses an immediate threat of serious injury or death. The mold inspection company representative stated that the nursing home is a wreck. Nursing homes must have a clean atmosphere to protect the safety and welfare of their residents. Camelot Terrace’s owner has filed an “information dispute resolution” to contest the department’s citations. The owner is also being accused of attempting to mislead the Department. He supposedly instructed staff to provide less than truthful information to Department representatives. To learn more about the Camelot Terrace inspection, please check out the MyWebTimes.com article.

This article highlights the important role the IDPH plays in overseeing nursing homes. The IDPH is responsible for ensuring that all nursing homes comply fully with mandatory state regulations. By comporting with mandatory regulations nursing homes help avoid elderly abuse and neglect. The IDPH works closely with Medicare and Medicaid to ensure that all payments are rendered to the appropriate people. Each year, the IDPH conducts approximately 1,300 full on-site inspections of the nursing homes in response to the complaints. To learn more about how the IDPH regulates nursing homes, visit their nursing home website.

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Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Bad nursing homes, Incidents

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February 11, 2010

Illinois Nursing Home has Funds Cut Off After Incidents of Nursing Home Abuse

Illinois and federal authorities have stopped funding to the Fox River Pavilion nursing home in Aurora Illinois. This occurred after a series of violent incidents that included the wrongful death of one resident in a fight. State investigators believe that a lack of staffing contributed to the resident-on-resident attacks at the 98-resident nursing home in Aurora. They found that the staff failed to properly monitor and treat aggressive mentally ill felons housed there. The problem of inadequate staffing has become widespread in Illinois. Illinois has the highest ratio of mentally ill patients housed with the elderly. Many of these psychiatric patients have felony records.

A Chicago Tribune investigation has revealed that the nursing homes with the most felons also have the fewest nursing home staff employees. Fox River Pavilion housed 26 felons and had a ratio of nursing home staff to patients “well below average” than desired. During the wrongful death residents said that no staff were present to control the incident. This termination marks the second time in one month that Medicare and Medicaid Services has cut off funding of an Illinois nursing home. The state has also moved to decertify the Somerset Place nursing home in Chicago.

The Chicago injury attorneys at Levin & Perconti believe that nursing home staffing levels are one of the most important issues that plague modern day facilities. In order to combat nursing home negligence there needs to be a number of well-trained staff members that are employed 24-hours a day. If you believe that a loved one has been injured in a nursing home due to insufficient staffing numbers, please consult an Illinois nursing home abuse lawyer. To read more about this Illinois nursing home, losing funding, follow the link.

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Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Nursing Home Staff, Fox River Pavilion, Incidents, Nursing Home Staff News

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February 5, 2010

Somerset Place in Chicago, Illinois is Facing Shutdown for Nursing Home Negligence

Chicago’s Somerset Place nursing home has filed a civil lawsuit to stop the government from administratively shutting it down. State and federal authorities were threatening to close Somerset Place until it remedies the serious safety breaches they found upon inspection. The officials stated that these breaches put “the health and safety of residents in immediate jeopardy.” The Chicago nursing home has filed a submitted plan of correction. This story correlates to the recent Chicago Tribune reports that found violence and elderly abuse at the facility. There were also numerous Department of Public Health citations along with complaints from the community. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services did warn the facility that it would face termination from their programs unless these problems were addressed. The nursing home negligence has lead to fines of at least $6,050 per day. Also, their Illinois state license is in the process of being revoked. If you have a loved one within Somerset Place, please consult a Chicago nursing home attorney. To learn more about the nursing home revocation, please click the link.

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Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Chicago Nursing Homes, Compromised Care: Tribune Investigation, Incidents, Somerset Place

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February 3, 2010

Golden Moments Senior Care in Jacksonville, Illinois Fined $50,000 for Nursing Home Neglect

State officials have fined the Golden Moments Senior Care Center in Jacksonville, Illinois $50,000. The nursing home was fined for poor care that has been connected with the wrongful death of a 74-year-old resident who choked on food. The elderly man was developmentally disabled and staffers knew that he had a risk of chocking on food. The nursing home employees did not feed the patient a proper diet. An Illinois Department of Public Health report revealed that the man had no teeth and should have ground up meat. However, the nursing home gave the victim a piece of ham that had only been torn into pieces. The man then collapsed and died upon eating the ham. The coroner found ham pieces and mashed potatoes lying next to his body and a wad of ham the “size of a tangerine” in his windpipe. The coroner than filed a complaint with the Illinois Department of Public Health. Golden Moments Senior Center has already faced fines after an employee was accused of nursing home abuse. This nursing home has been the center of many posts on this nursing home negligence blog as well. If you have had problems with Golden Moments Senior Center, please contact a Chicago nursing home lawyer. To read more about the choking incident, please click the link.

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Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Golden Moments Senior Center, Incidents, Wrongful Death

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January 21, 2010

State and Feds Threaten to Close Somerset Place Nursing Home in Chicago

State and federal authorities have warned the Chicago nursing home Somerset Place that it will be shut down unless it quickly fixes its safety breaches. They claim that these breaches put “the health and safety of…residents in immediate jeopardy.” A 10-day investigation led the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to warn Somerset Place that it would be terminated in 23 days unless the problems were corrected. A public health department spokeswoman stated that this was a very serious decision for Illinois state health inspectors. The Chicago Tribune reported that Somerset Place allowed the murder of a resident who had been prostituting herself and using crack cocaine when living at the home. The home specializes in the treatment of mentally ill adults and houses 66 felons among its 400 residents. It has been cited repeatedly for patient safety violations. Also Chicago police have investigated incidents of sexual assault and drug use at the home. To read more about the possible closing of Somerset Place nursing home, please click the link.

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Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Chicago Nursing Homes, Incidents, Somerset Place

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January 13, 2010

Chicago Aldermen Discuss Tougher Oversight for Nursing Homes

Chicago aldermen stated that they were considering steps to strengthen oversight of troubled nursing homes that admit high numbers of felons and psychiatric patients. The city began focusing on felons and psychiatric patients in nursing homes after the Chicago Tribune published a series that exposed cases of rape and murder in nursing homes that mix criminals with the elderly. The Foster District police commander stated that there were nearly 5,000 calls for police service coming from Somerset Place nursing home in Uptown. She added that nearby shop owners were adversely affected by some residents who cause disturbances. While Chicago once inspected and licensed nursing homes, they have now turned over those responsibilities to the state. One alderman stated that the city should consider resuming licensing and inspecting facilities. Many were shocked at the number of felons and mentally ill patients that were housed with seniors. A representative from Loyola University stated that students are harassed by residents at Wincrest Nursing Center. She stated that residents were using drugs and panhandling because they were not getting the requisite care. To learn more about the Chicago nursing home plans, please click the link.

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Posted In: Chicago Nursing Home Abuse, Chicago Nursing Homes, Compromised Care: Tribune Investigation, Incidents, Somerset Place

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January 10, 2010

Chicago Nursing Home Lawyers Reach Record Settlement Against Coles County Home

The Chicago nursing home lawyers at Levin & Perconti recently reached the largest nursing home settlement in a case against a nursing home in Coles, County IL. The Prairie View Center in Charleston, IL and a doctor agreed to pay $700,000 to the family of a 43-year-old victim who died from injuries he suffered while he was a resident a the nursing home. The victim was admitted to Prairie View Care Center on March 19, 2002. He suffered from severe cognitive impairments and was dependent on the nursing home staff for all of is daily activities. His impairments also made him unable to communicate his needs to the nursing home staff. In the two months he spent in the nursing home before he was discharged he developed a massive infected stage IV bedsore on his sacrum. The pressure wound was so deep that his sacral bone was visible. This caused his overall condition to deteriorate and he was hospitalized. Six months later he died after his inability to bounce back from the pressure wound. Nursing home lawyer Michael Bonamarte stated the nursing home failed to prevent the progression of the victim’s sacral pressure sore, and he eventually died from complications related to his injury. In 2006, Prairie View Care Center was bought by new owners who changed the name of the nursing home. Chicago attorney Steven Levin stated that it is common for nursing home owners to own multiple nursing homes, many of which are far from where they are located. Without oversight nursing homes administrators are not in touch with the day-to-day happenings in the nursing home. This causes nursing home abuse to go unnoticed.

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Posted In: Client Tell Extras, Illinois Nursing Homes, Incidents, Levin & Perconti in the News, Nursing Home Abuse, Pressure Ulcers

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January 9, 2010

Chicago Nursing Home Neglect Lawyers Reach Settlement for Bedrail Entrapment Death

Levin and Perconti has reached a settlement with a south suburban nursing home after a victim died when her neck became entrapped between her bedrail and mattress at the nursing home. Attorneys Steven Levin and Michael Bonamarte represented the family and reached a $570,000 settlement for the adult grandchildren of a 99-year-old resident. The client’s grandmother was admitted to the facility on December 6, 2007, after being hospitalized with seizers. According to the nursing home lawyers, bedrails were placed on her bed upon admittance. On January 27, 2008 a nurse was making her nightly rounds and discovered the client’s grandmother on the floor next to her bed with her head entrapped between the bedrail and mattress. While healthcare professionals tried to revive her, her injuries were too severe and she died hours later. The autopsy confirmed that the client’s grandmother died from compressional asphyxia when her neck became entrapped between the bedrail and mattress. The compression from the entrapment was so severe that in addition to cutting off her oxygen supply, it fractured a bone in her neck. The coroner stated that her death was similar to strangulation or hanging. The nursing home lawyers argued that the nursing home placed her in danger of serious harm by using bedrails. Nursing home lawyer Michael Bonamarte stated that it was a terrifying way to die and noted that this could easily be avoided. Chicago lawyer Steven Levin added that the nursing home failed to consult the decedent’s family members regarding the use of bedrails. After the wrongful death, the Illinois Department of Public Health cited the facility for improper nursing care and resident injury, fining them $10,000.

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Posted In: Client Tell Extras, Illinois Nursing Homes, Bedrails, Incidents, Levin & Perconti in the News, Nursing Home Abuse

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January 8, 2010

Restrictions Sought in Illinois for Chemical Restraints in Nursing Homes

Nursing home resident advocates in Illinois are pushing for new rules on the use of antipsychotic drugs among nursing home residents. This would prevent the misuse of the drugs as a form of chemical restraint in nursing homes. A grassroots organization that fights to improve nursing home care in the state, entitled Illinois Citizens for Better Care, is pushing for new state laws and regulations that would prevent nursing homes and doctors from using antipsychotic and psychotropic drugs as a form of chemical restraint on the elderly residents. The concerns over the use of certain drugs have increased considerably as the result of the Chicago Tribune’s reports on problems in Illinois nursing homes. The Illinois governor has established the Nursing Home Safety Task Force to address the nursing home abuse problems that were uncovered by the investigation. A recent study has find that the side effects of the antispychotics commonly given to elderly residents have been linked to death and strokes. Nursing home care advocates say that the state could prevent the “off-label” use of antipsychotics in eldely patients by refusing to pay for those specific drugs. Also the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family can grant consent for the drugs on a case-by-case basis. The use of standardized forms and disclosure may also help the problems associated by the drugs. The use of chemical restraints is becoming commonplace as physical restraints become outlawed. If you or a loved one has been harmed by chemical restraints, please contact an Illinois lawyer. To read more about the solutions for chemical restraints, please click the link.

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Posted In: Chemical Restraints, Incidents

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Illinois Nursing Home Failed to Prevent a Resident’s Drowning

The brother of a deceased man blames a nursing home for his brother’s drowning death when the victim was taking a bath. The man filed a nursing home negligence lawsuit against Community Living Options doing business as Edwardsville Terrace. The lawsuit alleges that the brother and his have suffered grief, sorrow and mental suffering. They also have been deprived of their brother’s society, companionship, love and affection. In the lawsuit he blames the employees stating that they failed to provide adequate supervision, failed to protect the victim from neglect, failed to provide nursing care 24-hours per day and seven days per week and failed to provide enough nursing staff to provide 24-hour nursing services. Most importantly, the nursing home failed to implement policies that prohibit nursing home neglect and failed to ensure supervision of the residents who have special needs. The Illinois nursing home negligence lawsuit seeks a judgment of more than $50,000. To read more about the Illinois nursing home lawsuit, please click the link.

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Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Incidents

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January 3, 2010

New Illinois Nursing Home Report Expected in January

Authorities saw mentally ill residents in Chicago nursing homes crowded three and four to a room, observed residents wandering hallways and saw very little therapy. This prompted member of an Illinois task force to turn away surprised and dismayed. It was especially true when it came to homes that housed the mentally ill. The Illinois task force was formed in response to a series of assaults in nursing homes. Under federal law, nursing homes are barred from admitting a mentally ill patient unless the state has determined the person needs the high level of care a nursing home can provide. The nursing homes should not admit mentally ill patients if their primary diagnosis is mental illness, however many admit residents with other diagnoses and health complications. In some instances, older nursing home residents have been assaulted by younger, stronger mentally ill patients. These instances of nursing home abuse have led to nursing home reports examining how violent convicted felons living in nursing homes put frail elderly residents at risk. To read more about the Illinois nursing home report, please click the link.

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Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Government Reports, Incidents

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January 2, 2010

Illinois Nursing Home Fined

A Jacksonville, Illinois nursing home has agreed to pay a $6,500 fine over accusations of elderly abuse and negligence. Golden Moments Senior Care Center at 1021 N. Church Street and the Illinois Department of Public Health has agreed the nursing home will pay the fine. Additionally, a certified nursing aide was fired after claims that she committed nursing home abuse. The nursing home was fined because public health officials believed that the state failed to keep six residents form being mentally, verbally or physically abused. The report shows that one person was being threatened to have their throat cut, another was denied food and a resident was being taunted by one employee while the actions were videotaped. As of November 23 of 2009, Golden Moments has been fined more than $40,000 for substandard compliance with federal regulations. The October inspection revealed that the nursing home neglected to follow its policies and procedures for residents requiring partial assistance with feeding and failing to have a policy and procedure for assisting residents who eat too fast and are at risk for choking. One 74-year-old resident wrongfully died after choking on his food at the nursing home. The nursing home did have orders that they were supposed to watch the victim so that he did not put too much food in his mouth. To learn more about violations at the Golden Moments Senior Care Center, please click the link.

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Posted In: Failure to supervise, Incidents, Nursing Home Abuse, Wrongful Death

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December 31, 2009

Woman Sentenced to 15 Years in Illinois Nursing Home Theft

An Illinois judge has handed down a 15-year-prison sentence to a Quincy, Illinois woman who admitted to bilking a nursing home out of $14,500. The defendant pleaded guilty last month to stealing form the North Adams Home in Mendon. She was charged with forgery, theft and obstruction of justice. The woman now has 18 felony convictions. It is important for nursing homes to conduct background checks on all employees to avoid financial abuse. To read more about the financial exploitation, please click the link.

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Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Financial abuse and exploitation, Incidents

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December 24, 2009

Nursing Home Sweeps Find Outstanding Warrants

Officials swept two Chicago-area nursing homes for felons with outstanding arrest warrants and identified 18 residents wanted on charges ranging from disorderly conduct to burglary to assault. The raids involved 20 federal marshals and Cook County sheriff’s police were initiated by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. Five people were arrested, including a sex offender wanted in another state for failing to register. In three cases, the residents were too sick to be taken into custody, and the other warrants were not immediately enforceable because they were issued in other jurisdictions. Authorities examined records for Somerset Place on the North Side and discovered three residents with outstanding warrants. The number of felons known to be living in Illinois nursing homes has grown as the state increasingly relied on nursing homes to house younger psychiatric patients. Many of these patients have criminal records. To read the full sweep story, please click the link.

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Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Chicago Nursing Homes, Compromised Care: Tribune Investigation, Incidents, Sex offenders and parolees in nursing homes

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December 18, 2009

Illinois Nursing Home Inspections Stun State Officials

Top state officials who recently visited Illinois nursing homes said that they were stunned and disappointed by the conditions at some facilities. They described grim institutions crowded with large numbers of mentally ill residents who wandered aimlessly without proper treatment. Department of Human Services Assistant Secretary Grace Hou stated that it was an eye-opening experience. Other officials publicly questioned whether some of the mentally ill people had medical conditions that were serious enough to justify their placement in a nursing home. One Illinois nursing home had close to 80 percent of residents who were mentally ill, but facility administrators had labeled their mental illness as a secondary diagnosis. This becomes an issue because under current Medicaid rules, the federal government stops reimbursing the state for care at nursing homes when they fill more than half their beds with residents who are exclusively mentally ill. It has become evident that housing the elderly with mentally ill patients leads to nursing home abuse. The number of elderly rapes, assaults and deaths goes up greatly. To learn more about the recent inspection, check out the link.

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Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Compromised Care: Tribune Investigation, Incidents

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December 16, 2009

Illinois Nursing Home Accountability Lacking

One of the problems with the Illinois government is that taxpayers don’t see a good investment for their dollar. Last week it was revealed that Illinois nursing home administrators are rarely disciplined when nursing home negligence occurs. Between 2005 and 2009, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation received 407 complaints from the state’s health department about nursing homes across the state. However, only three of those cases resulted in discipline for nursing home administrators. The numbers were put together by a task force that formed after it was revealed nursing homes had a series of assaults, rapes and murders in Illinois nursing homes. Currently, nursing home residents advocates are closely watching a case in an Elgin nursing home where a 21-year-old mentally ill resident sexually assaulted a 69-year-old woman. The state is alleging that a more thorough background check would have revealed that the young resident had an outstanding warrant on felony battery charges. By checking into the resident’s past the nursing home administrator would have avoided the elderly sexual abuse. Nursing home administrators should be liable for background checks on new residents. Illinois has an obvious broken nursing home administration system. To read more about the nursing home falter, please click the link.

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Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Failure to supervise, Incidents

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December 15, 2009

Illinois Weighing Tougher Sanctions for Nursing Home Administrators

State authorities stated that they are reviewing laws and policies to strengthen the disciplinary sanctions taken against nursing home administrators in cases of wrongdoing and patient harm. Although there are serious allegations of violence against nursing home residents, administrators are rarely punished by the Department of Financial & Professional Regulation, which licenses the administrators and other professional staff. The Chicago Tribune examination of government records show that department officials have been discussing possible reforms with the new Illinois Nursing Home Safety Task Force. Discussions have centered on ways the state Health Department can streamline the reporting of misconduct and safety breaches to their agency, which could strengthen the disciplining of facility administrators. Not one Illinois nursing home administrator has had his or her license revoked since January 2005. Additionally, out of the thousands of cases of nursing home abuse only 20 administrators have been disciplined for nursing home negligence. One nursing home administrator was found to have multiple health violations and was linked to the deaths of two residents for negligent care. Her license was only suspended for one year. Illinois nursing home administrators should be disciplined for gross negligent care. To read more about the new task force, check out the link.

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Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Nursing Home Staff, Compromised Care: Tribune Investigation, Incidents

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December 13, 2009

Illinois Disciplines Few Nursing Home Administrators

In five years, an Illinois agency that disciplines nursing home administrators has received more than 400 complaints of elderly negligence from the state agency that investigates nursing home care. However, only three complaints have led to discipline. This is evidence of a broken system. Wendy Meltzer of Illinois Citizens for Better Care says the two agencies need to work more closely so nursing home administrators are held accountable. This nursing home abuse matter is under study by a task force that hopes to make recommendations to Governor Quinn. This is just another sign of the broken Illinois nursing home system. In order to learn more about disciplinary statistics, please click the link.

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Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Incidents

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December 4, 2009

Waukegan Nursing Home Resident Missing

Waukegan police are asking for the public’s help in finding a nursing home resident who has been missing for a week. The 47-year-old has been missing since November 25 when he was given a 10-day pass to leave the Glen Lakes Terrace Nursing Home in Waukegan, Illinois. He was reportedly going to his mother’s home for Thanksgiving. He suffers from mental health issues, but is not considered to be dangerous. It is important to closely monitor nursing home residents. To read more about the nursing home patient, please click the link.

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Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Incidents

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December 1, 2009

Illinois Jury Declares Nursing Home Neglect

A jury found that Rosewood Care Center of Joliet, Illinois was responsible for the death of an elderly resident. The victim died after suffering a huge bedsore that ate through her skin to the bone. The jury awarded $51,000 to the victim of the nursing home neglect. The victim died at age 88 after undergoing a procedure to remove bedsores and treat bone infections brought on by her confinement to her bed and her exposure to urine and other bodily fluids during her care. The victim has a hole in her backside the size of a fist. The bedsore was the contributing factor in the victim’s death. If you would like to read more about the nursing home verdict, please click the link.

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Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Incidents, Pressure Ulcers, Verdicts and Settlements

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The purpose of this blog is to deliver news and information that is relevant to our areas of practice. The news and information reported on this blog represent the legal actions of attorneys throughout the United States. Our firm does not claim to represent plaintiffs in all of the lawsuits, settlements, and jury verdicts reported, only those noted as Levin & Perconti cases.

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