Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog

The ACLU seeks to file a class action lawsuit on behalf of mentally ill patients who have been improperly placed in nursing homes, alleging that under anti-discrimination laws, these patients have a right to be integrated into the community to the extent possible.

The ACLU also alleges these homes often lack privacy and recreational activities.

For the full article.

In response to the proposed medical malpractice cap bills on the way in the legislature, the Center for Justice and Democracy has posted an article showing how med-mal verdicts have resulted in nationwide initiatives and reforms from insurance companies and hospitals to curb negligent treatment.

For the full article.

The family of a woman who died in a St. Louis nursing home in April 2001 was awarded $275,000. The woman died during a heat wave at the Leland Health Care Center when the air conditioning was not working at the home.

Three other women died during the heat wave and their families reached settlements for undisclosed amounts.

For the full article.

A Lynchburg, VA jury awarded $75,000 in compensatory damages to the family of a 95 year old woman in a wrongful death suit.

For the full article.

A jury awarded $1.1 million to the family of a 62-year old man who died in 2002 from an infection in his leg at North Macon Health Care in Macon, Georgia.

The wrongful death suit alleged lapses in care including poor staffing, preventable falls that contributed to the infection and subsequent death of the stroke victim.

For the full article.

Heritage Manor South-Beardstown was fined $20,000 for failure to immediately notify a doctor when a resident with diabetes experienced low blood sugar levels and for failure to give complete information to the doctor when he was notified. The facility also failed to respond to and treat signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia and failed to have policies and procedures established for staff to follow regarding hypoglycemia for residents with insulin dependent diabetes.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators.

Columbus Manor Residential Care Home was fined $20,000 for failure to track a change in behavior for a resident diagnosed with mental illness whose psychotropic medications had recently been reduced. The resident left the facility undetected and was later found by police and admitted to the hospital with hypothermia, hyponatremia, hypokalemia and depression.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators.

The A.R.C of Jacksonville was fined $50,000 for failure to assess and monitor a resident who refused to eat, drink, or take prescribed medications. The A.R.C. of Jacksonville also failed to notify the resident's doctors about deterioration of mental and physical health. As a result, the resident was transferred to the hospital and later died from dehydration according to an autopsy.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators.

The nursing home failed to track a change in behavior for a resident diagnosed with mental illness whose psychotropic medications had recently been reduced. The resident wandered from the facility undetected and was later found by police and admitted to the hospital with hypothermia, hyponatremia, hypokalemia and depression.

The Illinois Department of Public Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators

This nursing home was fined $50,000 by the Illinois Department of Public Health for negligently failing to assess and monitor a resident who refused to eat, drink or take prescribed medications. The nursing home also failed to notify the resident's doctors about deterioration of mental and physical health. The resident was ultimately transferred to the hospital and died of dehydration.

The Illinois Department of Public Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators

Belhaven Nursing Home was fined $5,000 for failure to provide adequate supervision to an Alzheimer's resident identified as at risk for leaving the facility. The resident left the facility without staff knowledge and was re-admitted the next day with multiple abrasions and bumps.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators.

At Foundation Park Care Center in South Toledo, a mentally ill resident beat his roommate on March 10, 2006, leading to injuries that caused his death. The mentally ill patient had hit two other residents in January and February. The home failed to report these 2 incidents and the beating on March 10th to the state Health Department and Police.

The incident prompted an inspection on April 17, 2006, as the home was cited for 10 deficiencies including problems with abuse, staff treatment of residents, social services, housekeeping/maintenance, comprehensive care plans, accidents, and sanitary conditions — food prep and service, and preventing spread of infection.

As a result, the Ohio Department of Health ordered payment of Medicare and Medicaid for new admissions will be cut off May 6 Foundation Park Care Center in South Toledo.

For the full article.

The trial began on April 17, 2006 for the family of a 95 year old woman who died in 2003 of an infection in the Medical Facilities of America (MFA) nursing home in Lynchburg.

The family alleges the home failed to document an elbow injury and a leg infection sustained by the woman in the early days after the injury.

For the full article.

Topeka based Indian Trails Mental Health Living Center is the subject of a $60M lawsuit for failure to recognize and properly restrain a man who had come to the home from the Larned State Hospital.

The man had a history with Indian Trails as he was dismissed from the home in 1990 after a one week stay due to threatening behavior. In addition, the records from the State Hospital that accompanied the man to Indian Trails warned of the threat he may pose to other residents. Despite the adequate warning, the man was set free to mingle with the other residents.

In June of 2004, the man threatened to rape or kill someone and in July 2004 the man raped and beat another resident. Staff members at the home confided to state officials that they suspected the man was having sex with other residents.

For the full article.

Evergreene Nursing in Green County was sued last year for neglect. The attorney for the Virginia Department Office of Advocacy and Protection cited 84 cases of abuse between 2004 and 2005 including an incident involving employees sleeping on the job who failed to provide CPR to a patient who later died.

The home tried to have the case dismissed, but the judge said it will go to trial although no date has been set.

For the full article.

During February, the following homes were cited for violations that could have led to the harm or death of residents:

• Manorcare in Palos Heights was fined $25,000 when a resident who was not provided with insulin treatment and services for two months was admitted to the hospital with high blood sugar levels.
• Prarie Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Chicago Heights was fined $20,000 for failure to supervise a resident who suffered fourth degree burns from spilled coffee during a mealtime.
• Torrence Place in Sauk Village was fined $20,000 when a resident burned over 30% of his body because bath temperatures were too hot.

For the full article.

USA Today published an article showing that doctors performing mistake surgeries, either on the wrong patient or the wrong body part, is on the rise. These mistakes illustrate why the proposed medical malpractice caps in the senate would harm patients. Essentially, these caps would limit the amount of damages a patient on whom a mistake surgery is performed to $250,000, hardly an equitable sum in such a case.

The study found that while hospitals have implemented safety procedures such as marking the area of the body on which surgery will be performed with a large X, and requiring the nurses to do a final safety check confirming the correct patient and body part, these mistakes occur frequently enough not to ignore.

For the full article

Hickory Nursing Pavilion was fined $15,000 for failure to provide adequate supervision to a confused resident identified as at risk for leaving the facility. The resident left the facility without staff knowledge and was found walking in traffic by police.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators.

The Chicago nursing home was fined for failure to provide adequate supervision to an Alzheimer's resident identified at risk for leaving the facility. The resident left the facility without staff knowledge and was re-admitted the next day with multiple abrasions and bumps.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing homes