March 19, 2010

Nursing Home Finds Breakdown in Care

Recently the Northlake Nursing and Rehabilitation Center has found themselves in some trouble. Residents and their facility members have filed complaints depicting horrors that sound unbelievable in today’s modern age. These include patients who have visable bedsores that have progressed to the need for amputation. The staff covered up the bedsores with bandages whenever the family visited so that they were unaware of the horrific nature. The Post Tribune reported that the state’s department of health has gone so far as to suspend the nursing home’s license. The issue came to a height when the state issued an emergency closure for the home. The nursing home is owned by Eric Rothner and his Evanston, Illinois company called Extended Care Clinical. The company owns three other nursing homes in Lake County, Indiana and a dozen in Illinois, Nebraska and Ohio.

Many of the complaints and nursing home lawsuits point to a breakdown in patient care. They site high employee turnover at all levels including the administrator a director of nursing. Countless studies have showed that nursing homes with high employee turnover oftentimes are culprits of nursing home negligence. Nursing home staff should be the top priority for all owners. One former employee believes that Rothner buys the failing nursing homes at low prices and then struggles to fill the homes with residents. This situation leads to the administrators being unselective in who comes into the homes and merely looking to fill the beds for profits. To read more about the nursing home closure, please click the link. To learn more about the nursing home abuse, please check out this link.

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Posted In: National Nursing Homes, Bad nursing homes, Extended Care Clinical, Pressure Ulcers

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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 6, 2010

Feds Terminate Funding for Somerset Place Nursing Home in Chicago, Illinois After Accounts of Nursing Home Abuse

As the Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog reported, Somerset Place nursing home on the north side of Chicago has received a number of IDPH violations for repeated acts of violence and nursing home abuse and neglect that have compromised the safety of its residents. The nursing home was also the subject of several articles in the Chicago Tribune that highlighted the nursing home's problems and the Uptown community's concern. On Friday, federal health care officials announced that they would cut funding for the troubled nursing home. This is the first time in four years that the federal government has cut funding for a nursing home in Chicago.

All of the nursing home's 300 residents have a primary diagnosis of mental illness, and according to the Tribune 66 of these residents had criminal backgrounds. Staff members told the Tribune that insufficient staffing and training for direct care workers has created a chaotic environment where staff cannot properly supervise residents, many of whom need constant supervision. Without staffing and training, nursing home staff cannot properly supervise residents, and this leads to physical and sexual violence among residents.

According to the report, the Chicago nursing home will continue to receive Medicaid funding for 30 days, and the home has filed an emergency lawsuit to stop the CMS from pulling funding. The state health department will now look to move these residents to other Chicago nursing homes. Read full coverage of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service's decision to cut funding for Somerset Place in Chicago.

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Posted In: Bad nursing homes, Chicago Nursing Homes, Sex offenders and parolees in nursing homes, Somerset Place, Staffing Issues

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September 7, 2009

Nursing Home is under Criminal Investigation

A criminal investigation is under way after state health officials released a report about elder abuse at a nursing home. According to the nursing home abuse report, three nursing aides pinched, slapped and threw rubber balls at a resident with Alzheimer’s disease and told another resident to “shut up” while calling him names. The employees no longer work at the nursing home after the elderly abuse. Physical abuse has become all too commonplace at nursing homes throughout the country. To read more about the nursing home abuse, please click the link.

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Posted In: National Nursing Homes, Abuse, Bad nursing homes

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August 31, 2009

Three People Arrested for Operating Unlicensed Assisted Living Facilities

Three people have been arrested following an investigation by the Medicare Fraud Control Unit. The attorney general announced that three nursing home administrators were arrested on charges that they were operating two different assisted living facilities without licenses. The office started getting complaints about the nursing home and launched an investigation. Two of the administrators face felony charges and the potential for up to five years in prison if convicted. Investigators say that one of the operators had a licensed facility, but it exceeded its capacity. She then placed the extra clients in an unlicensed facility and asked for Medicaid reimbursement. The woman also received a cease and desist order and faces three charges: operating and/or maintaining an assisted living facility without a license, Medicaid fraud and grand theft. Unlicensed facilities can pose a serious threat to the residents’ safety and well-being. If your loved one has been a resident in an unlicensed nursing home, find an Illinois lawyer. To read more about the Medicaid fraud, please click the link.

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Posted In: Bad nursing homes, Medicaid and Medicare Fraud

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August 21, 2009

Death at Burnham Terrace Home may be the Result of Nursing Home Abuse

In April of 2009, Levin & Perconti discussed the death of a nursing home resident in the village of Burnham, located in the southern suburb of Chicago. This death may have been the resident of nursing home abuse. The victim died on April 1 from injuries he sustained during an altercation, which may have been at the home. A further autopsy revealed that the man died from multiple person injuries he sustained during the attack. To read about this nursing home abuse, please click the link.

The Chicago nursing home neglect lawyers at Levin & Perconti have represented victims of poor care at Burnham Terrace in the past. If you believe a loved one has suffered injury or death as a result of nursing home negligence at Burnham Terrance, contact our offices at 312-332-2872 for a free consultation with an experienced Chicago nursing home lawyer.

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Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Bad nursing homes, Burnham Terrace, Nursing Home Abuse, Selecting a home, Wrongful Death

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June 15, 2009

State Wants to Close Oak Lawn, Illinois Nursing Home

Illinois public health officials plan to try to close an Oak Lawn, Illinois nursing home despite the fact that the Regal Health and Rehab Center is now complying with state regulators. Inspectors from the Illinois Department of Public Health conducted their annual inspections of the nursing home in February and found it in violation of several regulations, including deficiencies in medical equipment, personnel and supervision of residents. While the health department gave the Regal permission to remain open, the state remains concerned about the quality of care for the 83 current residents. Recently a resident hooked up to an oxygen machine was able to sneak a cigarette into his room, causing a small fire. The man died a week later. Earlier this month, Oak Lawn inspectors found elderly negligence including dirty water fountains and appliances, water-damaged ceilings and rodent droppings on the floors at Regal. Additionally, the inspection revealed that employees were smoking inside the building and were washing their hands in the same sinks that contained food. Regal is owned by Michael Lerner, who also owns Forest Hill Health & Rehab Center. Currently Levin & Perconti has filed several nursing home negligence cases against Michael Lerner. To read more about the Oak Lawn nursing home negligence, please click the link.

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Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Bad nursing homes, Nursing Home Abuse

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May 30, 2009

Disparaties in Care Found in Alden Nursing Homes in Chicago

The wrongful death of an 85-year-old Chicago nursing home resident launched an investigation by The Chicago Reporter to determine the qualities of nursing homes throughout Illinois. The investigation found that the specific South Side nursing home has the worst rating that any home can receive and that residents get less than half the time each day with staff than residents at a predominately white facility in Evanston which is operated by the same owner. If this nursing home negligence lawsuit is filed, it will be the 14th in Cook County court against the Alden nursing homes between 2004 and 2009. That’s more than three times the elderly neglect lawsuits than half of the city’s 91 nursing homes, with the median number being four. Schlossberg has ownership in 30 homes in Illinois. An analysis of those homes revealed that there were racial disparities in the care that that residents received. Each of the three predominately black facilities received the lowest possible nursing home rating. The two facilities with the highest ratings had 84 percent white residents. Residents at the predominately black homes received much less staff time than residents of the white facilities. For example residents at the Evanston location received 5.53 hours of care per day, while the Harvey facility received 1.73 hours per day. The investigation also found that the disparities between black and white homes were even greater where at least 75 percent of care was paid by Medicaid. The idea that race plays a role a facility’s quality of care is greatly disturbing fact recovered by this investigation.

To read more about the disparities in nursing homes, please click the link.

For a map of the Schlossberg nursing homes in the Chicago land area, please click the link.

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Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Alden Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect, Bad nursing homes, Chicago Nursing Homes, Incidents, Selecting a home, Useful publications, Wrongful Death

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December 17, 2008

Choosing a Nursing Home in Illinois Made Easy-Part II

The new Medicare Nursing Home Compare Website can be used by Illinois residents to pick a nursing home that they feel comfortable and secure placing their loved one in. Several Illinois nursing homes have received poor ratings on the new Medicare sponsored website. Levin & Perconti attorneys specializing in nursing home abuse and elder neglect cases have brought several nursing home lawsuits against the homes which received poor rankings. Levin & Perconti have filed lawsuits for elder neglect, elder abuse, resident injuries some resulting in surgery and even death against the following nursing homes:

Brentwood Sub-Acute Healthcare Center
Alden Alma Nelson Manor
The Renaissance at South Shore

To research more nursing homes on the Medicare website please click here.
If you or someone you love may have been harmed in a nursing home please contact the attorneys at Levin & Perconti.

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Posted In: Bad nursing homes, Brentwood Abuse and Neglect, Renaissance Nursing Homes Abuse and Neglect

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August 26, 2008

Nursing Home License Downgraded

A nursing home where two patients have recently fallen from their wheelchairs, resulting in one wrongful death and personal injuries to the other, has had their license downgraded. One of the patients that fell out of their wheelchair suffered a fractured neck and ruptured blood vessel in his brain and died as a result of the fall. The other patient suffered multiple personal injuries including head injuries and a possible concussion as a result of his fall. These two incidents happened only two days apart and occurred only one month after the facility was fined when the Health Department found 21 deficiencies in their operations. The nursing home claims that the falls were both results of miscommunications and that the other issues occurred when the home was under different management. There is no word on whether a wrongful death suit or personal injury suit will be filed by the families of the victims. For the full story click here.

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Posted In: Bad nursing homes

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June 23, 2008

New Help in Evaluating Nursing Homes

When 84-year-old John DeBias’ health began declining a few years ago, he was forced to abandon his condo in Florida and return to Carpentersville, Illinois, to live with his daughter. However, five months ago, John broke his leg and then suffered a heart attack during surgery and, as he continued to get worse, living with his daughter, Karen, a single working mother, became impossible since she simply did not have the time to devote to her ailing father and in-house health care was not enough. It was then that John was forced to move into a nursing home. Since January, John has lived in multiple Illinois nursing homes. He is finally in one that works for the family, but getting there was difficult. Most of the nursing homes put a good show on for the residents’ families, but care ends up being inadequate and seniors are left to fend for themselves more than they are able. A stint in one nursing home left John with weight loss of 13 pounds in two weeks, urinary tract and yeast infections, a shoulder injury from being pushed and pulled around, dehydration and malnutrition, and pressure sores.

Unfortunately, this is not a unique story for nursing home residents. In 2003, nation-wide state Long Term Care Ombudsmen programs collectively investigated 20,673 complaints against nursing homes and board and care residents. The Nursing Home Transparency and Improvement Act of 2008 is aimed at improving consumer knowledge about the quality of nursing homes. Some ways the Act is achieving that goal is by: (1) posting nursing home ownership details, a standard complaint form, and links to inspection reports on www.medicare.gov; (2) increasing the maximum fines from $10,000 to $100,000 for any nursing home deficiency that results in a death; and (3) independently auditing nursing home chains, allowing closer watching of chains that have failed to comply in the past. In addition, separate from the legislation, there will be a website by the end of the year that evaluates nursing homes on a five-star rating system.

Read more here.

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Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Ombudsmen and Resident Advocates, National Nursing Homes, Bad nursing homes, How to choose a home, Legislation, Ombudsmen Program, Selecting a home

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June 11, 2008

Settlement Reached Following Appalling Conditions at Four Personal Care Homes

An owner and operator of four personal care homes that provided “appalling” care reached a $700,000 settlement agreement whereby she agreed never to operate any such facility. Following the closing of the last of her four personal care facilities, the owner reached a settlement that is merely a drop in the bucket for the multimillionaire, especially considering the severity of the allegations.

The owner and her managers were accused of horrible treatment while siphoning federal assistance funds designed for residents for their own personal use, including social security, disability, and veterans benefits. U.S. attorneys alleged that the owner’s facilities were unsanitary, structurally unsafe, provided insufficient food, nutrition, clothing and bedding. Where residents were ill and needed medical assistance, the facility’s staff failed to respond or even call for medical assistance. Furthermore, the facilities were chronically understaffed, including one home that was cited twice in three months for not having enough staff to provide at least one hour of personal care per day to its mobile residents.

The settlement in this case appears to be well short of many expectations given the atrocious care and the apparent ill-gotten wealth of the owner. She has a portfolio of multimillion-dollar homes in several states, an aircraft, and is currently renovating a gated estate, allegedly using funds that were obtained by virtue of providing substandard care. Unfortunately, this demonstrates the lack of oversight in many states where, for example, 75% of personal care facilities are operating without a license.

For more information, click here and here:

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Posted In: National Nursing Homes, Abuse, Bad nursing homes, Financial abuse and exploitation, National Nursing Home News, Staffing Issues, Verdicts and Settlements

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June 10, 2008

Wandering Nursing Home Resident Found Brutally Murdered

A nursing home lawsuit is to be filed by the family of a woman who was prone to nursing home wandering. The woman, a 46 year old, with a history of seizures and brain injuries was found naked in a motel in Chicago, Illinois after wandering off from an alleged negligent nursing home. The woman found in Cook County was beaten to death and had suffered serious personal injuries caused by an unknown suspect. The woman went missing after leaving Somerset Nursing Home. The family will likely also file a wrongful death suit against the defendant nursing home. To see the full story on this alleged Somerset Nursing home abuse click here.

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Posted In: Bad nursing homes, Chicago Nursing Homes, Failure to supervise, Nursing Home Abuse

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June 9, 2008

Those Seeking Trust & Solace in Nursing Homes Often Disappointed

Those Seeking Trust & Solace in Nursing Homes Often Disappointed
Nursing home complaints are sweeping the nation as Nursing Homes fail to provide adequate care and prompt responses to patient’s medical needs. The struggles faced in such homes and nursing home blunders associated with patient care have been chronicled extensively. Many nursing home failures lead to personal injuries, medication errors and even death. To read stories and see photos on those who have experienced nursing home deaths and paraplegic nursing home care errors click here.

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Posted In: Abuse, Bad nursing homes, National Nursing Home News, Nursing Home Abuse

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May 30, 2008

Nursing Home Nurses Accused of Neglect in Deaths

Penny Whitlock, a former nurse and director of nursing at the Illinois nursing home, Woodstock Residence, now called Crossroads Care Center of Woodstock, requested that three charges against her related to nursing home abuse and neglect be thrown out. The charges allege that she neglected three nursing home residents by failing to blow the whistle on the mistreatment of another patient. Whitlock filed a motion asking the judge to throw out three charges for neglecting long-term care facility residents, claiming she cannot be charged for neglect of patients other than the one who she allegedly knew was being mistreated. In total, Whitlock is charged with five counts of criminal neglect of a long-term care facility resident and two counts of obstructing justice. Additionally, former Woodstock Residence nurse Marty Himebaugh was charged with, and pleaded not guilty to, four counts of criminal neglect of a long-term care facility resident, one count of obtaining morphine by fraud, and one count of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. At the heart of the issue is whether Whitlock failed to take action after receiving complaints from other staff members alleging that Himebaugh was overmedicating nursing home patients with morphine and whether Whitlock urged Himebaugh to continue being an “Angel of Death.” The charges touch on nursing home abuse , nursing home neglect, medication errors, and physical or chemical restraints.

In a related suit, Levin and Perconti has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Woodstock Residence, Whitlock, and Himebaugh.

Read more here.

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Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Hot Button Issues, Bad nursing homes, Care Centers Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect, Failure to Report Abuse, Failure to supervise, Incidents, Nursing Home Abuse, Staffing Issues

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May 6, 2008

What Does It Take for a Nursing Home to Lose Medicaid Funding? Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect.

A nursing home in Canton, Ohio has lost its federal funding for having too many violations. According to inspectors, each time they went to the facility there was another problem. Unlike large corporate facilities, many smaller homes survive on Medicare and Medicaid to supplement what individual residents can pay to live in the home. This facility had a troubling list of violations including a patient not getting blood thinning medication until five days after the doctor prescribed it, a resident reported an instance of patient on patient rape and the doctor was not notified until 11 hours afterwards, a patient had severely matted and soiled hair resulting from his hair only being washed two or three times in six months at the facility, and old, used syringes lying around in patient rooms.

Read the full news report here.

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Posted In: Abuse, Bad nursing homes, How to tell if your nursing home is bad, Incidents

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Nursing Home Employee Arrested and Charged with Theft After Taking Prescription Drugs from Residents

A nursing home employee has been arrested and charged with theft of medications from nursing home residents. The employee apparently switched prescription pain relievers with over the counter pain relievers and then gave the wrong medication to the nursing home residents. This case shows another example of how medication mixing, giving the wrong medication, and prescription drug theft are more and more common in nursing homes. Family and patient advocates should be sure to check with their loved ones in nursing homes to make sure the resident feels like their medication is working and should also watch how medication is administered.

See the news story here.

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Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, National Nursing Homes, Bad nursing homes, How to tell if your nursing home is bad, Incidents, Staffing Issues

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May 5, 2008

Nursing Home Abuse Knows No Age: 20 Year Old Girl Dies in Nursing Home

A 20 year old girl with terminal kidney disease has died in a nursing home after crying for help for six hours. According to news reports, the nursing home staff ignored her cries for help for six hours before finding her dead. A nurse quoted in the news article said that the girl begged to see a doctor because something was really wrong. This is a sad case of nursing home neglect that shows how neglect can be deadly. Often, nursing home staff are so overtaxed with tasks and residents that they cannot or do not attend to all resident requests. Unfortunately, this means that many life or death calls can go unanswered. The girl’s family will likely file a wrongful death lawsuit for nursing home abuse and neglect to seek justice for their daughter’s sad and painful death.

Read more here.

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Posted In: Bad nursing homes, How to tell if your nursing home is bad, Nursing Home Abuse

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April 29, 2008

Uninsured Nursing Homes Plague Nursing Home Residents and Families Nationwide

A recent article highlights the dangers of residing in and placing family members in uninsured nursing homes. Uninsured nursing homes are extremely dangerous for residents because there is no way that residents can get fair and reasonable compensation for their injuries and families can recoup fair and reasonable compensation for their loved one’s wrongful death in a nursing home abuse and neglect lawsuit. The article highlights three tragic cases where a woman suffered severe pressure sores because nurses did not maintain her cast, another woman suffered when she was left on a bedpan for too long, and one resident died from dehydration in a nursing home. Unfortunately, none of these residents nor their families could fair and reasonable compensation for their injuries. Currently, the Illinois House is considering HB 5213 which would require at least $1 million in insurance coverage for Illinois nursing homes to protect residents who may be victims of nursing home abuse and neglect.

Read more about the dangers of uninsured nursing homes here.

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Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Ombudsmen and Resident Advocates, National Nursing Homes, Bad nursing homes, Chicago Nursing Homes, How to choose a home, How to tell if your nursing home is bad, Legislation, Legislation, Nursing Home Abuse, Pressure Ulcers

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April 25, 2008

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Adds New Website to Disclose Bad Nursing Homes

The Centers Medicare and Medicaid Services Nursing Home Compare website has added a new section that allows viewers to see information on nursing homes and identify homes that have drawn increased federal scrutiny for complaints and other forms of nursing home abuse and neglect. The website includes a listing of Special Focus Facilities which are nursing homes that receive increased federal inspection as a result of past poor performance. Notably, five Illinois nursing homes made the list. Embassy Health Care Center in Wilmington, IL and Harrisburg Care Center of Harrisburg, IL are both on the “not improved” list. Facilities that have shown improvement include Alden Park Strathmoor in Rockford, Berkshire Nursing & Rehab in Forest Park, and International Village in Chicago.

See here for the report and view the website here.

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Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Alden Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect, Bad nursing homes, Beverly Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect, Care Centers Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect, How to choose a home, How to tell if your nursing home is bad, Selecting a home, Useful publications, Useful publications, Useful publications, Useful publications

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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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