Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog

A resident died before emergency services could be called when the facility delayed medical services to a resident with abdominal pain. The facility was fined for failure to promptly follow a physician’s order to obtain a Computerized Tomography (CT) scan of a resident, to assess a change in a resident’s condition and to notify the oncoming nursing staff and physician of this change in condition.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators. To access the website: http://www.idph.state.il.us/about/nursing_home_violations/quarterlyreports.htm

Fined for failure to provide adequate supervision to prevent a resident from leaving the facility unnoticed. The resident was found five miles away and taken to a hospital emergency department suffering from dehydration. The facility’s investigation found an exit door alarm was low pitched and could not be heard by staff.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators. To access the website: http://www.idph.state.il.us/about/nursing_home_violations/quarterlyreports.htm

A patient died when an employee sustained a serious head injury in a fall. Earlier in the evening, an employee had removed the resident’s oxygen and, with the help of three other staff members, injected him with a large dose of an anti-psychotic drug that was not ordered by a physician. In another incident, the facility failed to assess and monitor the condition of a diabetic resident, who was not receiving prescribed insulin injections. The facility was fined for failure to prevent abuse or neglect of a resident and to properly assess and monitor the condition of another resident who was insulin dependent.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators. To access the website: http://www.idph.state.il.us/about/nursing_home_violations/quarterlyreports.htm

Fined for failure to prevent a resident from leaving the facility unsupervised. After hearing a door alarm sound, an employee looked outside before turning off the alarm. A resident wearing an electronic monitoring device had gotten outside and was standing in the parking lot at the time. The employee thought the resident was a visitor. The resident was found about 15 minutes later walking down the road about half a mile from the facility.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators. To access the website: http://www.idph.state.il.us/about/nursing_home_violations/quarterlyreports.htm

Fined for failure to notify the administrator that an allegation of abuse had been filed against him, to arrange for the administrator’s suspension so that an investigation could be conducted, to thoroughly investigate the alleged abuse and to follow facility policy for investigating the potential abuse of a resident.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators. To access the website: http://www.idph.state.il.us/about/nursing_home_violations/quarterlyreports.htm

Fined for failure to initiate emergency procedures for a non-responsive resident and to assure that 17 certified nursing assistants and three nurses on staff were current in cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators. To access the website: http://www.idph.state.il.us/about/nursing_home_violations/quarterlyreports.htm

Fined for failure to have a system to correctly identify residents prior to the administration of medications, to respond appropriately to hypoglycemic episodes, and to follow physician’s orders when resident’s blood glucose levels fell below the established parameters. These failures contributed to a resident having four significant episodes of hypoglycemia, including one that resulted in hospitalization. The facility also failed to recognize a heat emergency, to implement procedures to ensure the well being of residents and to have a detailed written heat emergency plan. The facility’s cooling system was not functioning and inside temperatures reached more than 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators. To access the website: http://www.idph.state.il.us/about/nursing_home_violations/quarterlyreports.htm

Fined for failure to perform appropriate emergency response measures for a resident who was found gasping for air. Staff did not attempt rescue procedures and were not trained on the correct ways to assist a choking victim. The resident was found dead in his wheelchair by paramedics responding to the call. In addition, the facility failed to adequately supervise and monitor another resident, who was on a pureed diet, during mealtime. The resident choked on a peach slice and died several days later at a local hospital. The facility has not yet requested a hearing, but is still within the allotted time to do so.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators. To access the website: http://www.idph.state.il.us/about/nursing_home_violations/quarterlyreports.htm

July 15, 2005
The Illinois Department of Public Health began proceedings to revoke Emerald Park’s operating license in June 2004 and also fined the facility $10,000 for substantial failure to comply with the Nursing Home Care Act. A hearing on the matter was scheduled to begin Monday.
Among the violations alleged at the facility were:
•Failure to adequately inform the administration of a trip on which a registered sex offender attended.
•Failure to assess behavior and criminal backgrounds of residents which would have revealed two residents from the Illinois Department of Corrections.
•Inadequate response to intentionally set fires indicating a lack of ability to supervise residents.

For the full article:
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Fined for failure to prevent a resident from leaving the facility unsupervised. The resident was able to exit the facility through the dock doors, which were not locked following a delivery.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators. To access the website: http://www.idph.state.il.us/about/nursing_home_violations/quarterlyreports.htm

Fined for failure to prevent a resident from leaving the facility unnoticed. A resident, who had a history of attempting to leave the facility, was seen walking down the middle of the street by a motorist. The resident fell and sustained a bloody nose. The door alarms in the facility’s new addition were not working at the time.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators. To access the website: http://www.idph.state.il.us/about/nursing_home_violations/quarterlyreports.htm

A resident died when the facility failed to provide adequate supervision and assistance to prevent accidents. After leaving the facility unnoticed, a resident threw himself in front of a commuter train and was killed.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators. To access the website: http://www.idph.state.il.us/about/nursing_home_violations/quarterlyreports.htm

Fined for failure to check the Nurse Aide Registry prior to hiring an employee, to immediately report to the administrator and investigate an allegation of abuse of a resident by this staff member and to remove the employee from contact with residents pending an investigation of the allegation.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators. To access the website: http://www.idph.state.il.us/about/nursing_home_violations/quarterlyreports.htm

Fined for failure to provide appropriate health care, monitoring and follow up on medical issues.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators. To access the website: http://www.idph.state.il.us/about/nursing_home_violations/quarterlyreports.htm

A Report from the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services was released showing violations of nursing home regulations at the Alden Alma Mason Manor in Rockford, IL. The full report is attached below.
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