Aperion Care Forest Park

Aperion Care Forest Park is a Chicago nursing facility that does not operate as a continuing care retirement community. They provide disabled/senior care, post-hospital, and short-term rehabilitation services for patients who need to recover to return home.

Aperion Care Forest Park patients can access the ice cream parlor, movie theater, and modern facility features, including their innovative congestive heart failure program (Bridge to Health), where cardiologists do weekly rounds in-house.

However, in recent state surveys and investigations, the Aperion Care Forest Park nursing home has maintained a one out of five-star rating, the lowest ranking on care considered satisfactory.

Our personal injury attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, serve as legal advocates for residents of nursing facilities and assisted-living homes throughout Illinois. We offer immediate action to stop neglect, abuse, and mistreatment at nursing homes statewide. Call us at (888) 424-5757 for a free legal consultation to explore your legal options.

In addition, our nursing home abuse lawyers publish publicly available updated data that details opened investigations and safety concerns at Aperion Care Forest Park and other facilities to provide information to assist family members who must place a loved one in the care of others to manage their health and hygiene needs.

Aperion Care Forest Park

Aperion Care Forest Park is a 232-certified Medicaid/Medicare-participating nursing facility providing medical services to Forest Park and Cook County, Illinois residents.

Aperion Care Forest Park is located at:

8200 W. Roosevelt Road
  Forest Park, IL 60130
(708) 488-9850

Website: https://aperioncare.com/locations/forest-park/

Located just outside downtown Chicago, Aperion Care Forest Park in Roosevelt Road Forest Park provides various medical services until patients can return home, including:

• Speech, occupational and physical therapies
• Post-hospital rehabilitation services
• Joint replacement/orthopedic therapy
• Cardiac rehabilitation
• Pain management services
• Palliative/hospice care
• Alzheimer's/dementia care
• IV/infusion therapies and wound care

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Aperion Care Facilities: Why Nursing Homes Must Follow Established Protocols

The elderly, infirmed, disabled, and rehabilitating individuals residing in nursing facilities rely on the medical staff to meet their medical requirements to ensure their well-being, including the care of their wounds.

Maintaining a safe environment as follows established protocols requires teamwork that involves the nursing staff, nurse director, medical director, social worker, admissions director, and others.

Medical problems at a long-term or short-term rehabilitation center, including Aperion Care Forest Park, should be handled by a multidisciplinary team and enough nursing staff to provide the care needed to restore the resident's health.

The staff should provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for each resident. If the staff improperly treats pressure sores, cuts, lacerations, or open wounds, actions are negligent leading to wrongful death if an infection occurs.

State Surveyors Investigating Aperion Care Facilities

At least once every year, surveyors arrive at the facility to ensure that Aperion caregivers consistently follow established professional standards in providing appropriate care and transportation services to long-term and rehabilitation guests. Some of these protocols include:

• Assess every patient for safety risk
• Get informed consent for every necessary procedure, including installing bed rails and prescribing medication for any medical reason.
• Review the patient's risks and benefits with the resident, family member, or legal representative
• Maintain an effective infection prevention control program
• Provide safe transportation services
• Serve food at a safe and appetizing temperature
• Protect the resident's belongings, including credit cards, cash, and access to bank accounts
• Procure food from state-approved sources and keep it in a safe environment by storing, preparing, distributing, and serving according to accredited standards

Nursing Home Resident Safety Concerns at Aperion Care Forest Park

Each year, the federal government updates its evaluations on nursing facilities, assisted-living homes, and rehabilitation centers nationwide and posts the information on its website www.Medicare.gov using a star rating summary system. Families have access to the fines and violations at Aperion Care Forest Park over the past three years.

Aperion Care Forest Park maintains an overall one out of five stars rating, including four stars for quality measures and one star for health inspections and staffing concerns.

The assisted living neglect attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC have located numerous filed complaints, opened investigations, and safety concerns involving Aperion Care Forest Park. Some of these concerns involve:

Failure to Ensure That the Nursing Home Remains Free from Accident Hazards and Provide Adequate Supervision to Prevent Accident: Deficiency F-0689

In a summary statement of deficiencies dated March 23, 2002, surveyors observed an Aperion Care resident in bed raised from the floor. The resident told the surveyor that the nursing assistants routinely leave the bed in a high position. The resident stated, "I can't walk, so I am afraid to move. I don't want to fall."

Thirty minutes later, a registered nurse told the surveyor that the residence bed should remain in the lowest position because her medical charts stated that she was a fall risk.

The surveyor reviewed the resident's earlier individualized Plan of Care, indicating that the patient "is at risk for falls, an injury related to falls, interventions to ensure a safe environment with even floors free from spills or clutter… The bed is in a low position at night and when occupied and personal items within reach."

Failure to Provide Safe and Appropriate Respiratory Care for Residents When Needed: Deficiency F-0695

In a summary statement of deficiencies dated March 23, 2002, the State surveyor noted the facility's failure "to follow its guidelines and respiratory care for a resident… by failure to provide an Ambu bag at the bedside… The facility also failed the doctor's orders to provide the resident oxygen."

The deficiency could likely harm three residents reviewed for respiratory care.

When the deficiency was identified early in the morning, the State surveyor observed the resident connected to oxygen with a wound care nurse present. At that time, the resident received 5 L per minute of oxygen.

The residence care plan showed a physician's orders noting that the size of the Ambu Bag was too big and should be changed from a size 8 to size 7 to "improve swallowing." However, the respiratory therapist stated that "she forgot to get an order from the physician and update the resident's medical records."

Residents Affected by Actual Harm When Facility Caregivers Fail to Provide Quality Services: When Negligence Leads To Falls

Falls are the leading cause of injury and death for those 65 and older. Injuries from falls can range from bruises and lacerations to more severe injuries such as hip fractures, head injuries, and even death. Nursing facility residents are particularly vulnerable to falls for several reasons:

• The patient may be taking multiple medications that can lead to dizziness or drowsiness
• The resident may have reduced mobility and balance due to age or illness
• The patient may be confused or disoriented due to dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• The person did not receive adequate assistance or supervision from staff

Falls can be devastating for assisted living residents both physically and emotionally. Injuries from falls can require extensive rehabilitation, may keep residents confined to their beds or wheelchair-bound, and can reduce their independence and quality of life.

A fall in any nursing home area can also cause residents to feel scared, anxious, and frustrated, leading to feelings of isolation and loneliness.

Therefore, nursing homes must take measures to prevent falls and provide adequate assistance and supervision to residents at risk of falling. Staff should be well-trained in fall prevention techniques and be aware of the signs that a resident is at risk of falling.

Residents should be assessed regularly for fall risk factors and given appropriate assistance and supervision when necessary. With proper precautions in place, nursing facility falls can be minimized, and the devastating consequences they can have on residents be avoided.

Substandard Respiratory Care

Nursing home residents are particularly vulnerable to respiratory illnesses and infections due to their age and compromised immune systems. Inadequate respiratory therapy can lead to severe injuries or death.

One recent study found that over one-third of nursing facility residents affected by inadequate respiratory therapy died within six months. Inadequate respiratory therapy can lead to pneumonia, leading to the death of nursing home residents.

It is essential that families closely monitor their loved one's care in nursing homes and ensure that they receive appropriate respiratory therapy. Contact a lawyer immediately if you suspect your loved one is not receiving adequate respiratory therapy.

Nursing Home Abusive Care

Physical Abuse

Any intentional use of force against an elder resulting in pain, injury, or impairment. The abusive behavior can include hitting, pushing, kicking, slapping, unnecessary use of restraints, shoving, and general rough treatment.

Emotional Or Psychological Abuse

Any conduct that can cause emotional trauma or distress in an elder, including verbal abuse, belittling, name-calling, intimidation, mental abuse, harassment, isolating residents from others, prohibiting residents from engaging in enjoyable activities, verbally threatening residents and withholding food, water, or medication.

Sexual Assault

Any forced sexual contact with an elder without permission, including touching an elder's genitals, breasts, or buttocks without consent; forcing an elder to watch pornographic material; or forcing an elder to engage in sexual activity.

Medication Errors

Any errors resulting from healthcare professionals providing residents the wrong medication, such as giving too much or too little medication, neglecting to monitor medications closely enough, or residents taking medications improperly.

Dropped Patients

Residents affected are dropped to the floor due to a lack of staff supervision (each shift should have a licensed nurse in charge), training, or insufficient staffing.

Common falls and drops result from healthcare professionals and staff moving a resident from the wheelchair to the bed, moving a resident from their wheelchair to the toilet, bath, or shower, incorrect usage of the Hoyer lifting equipment, usage of broken or defective Hoyer lifting equipment and moving wheelchair-bound residents in an out of the transportation vans.

Trip And Falls

Falls account for more than 50% of nursing home injuries yearly. The most common accident hazards are slippery floors; inadequate lighting, loose rugs, and mats; and clutter or furniture blocking pathways.

With the correct planning for each resident and nursing home area, care facilities can prevent accidents that can potentially cause major injury.

Bed Rail Entrapment

Bed rail entrapment occurs when the resident is:

• Caught, stuck, wedged, or trapped between the mattress/bed and the bed rail
• Between rail bars
• Between a commode and rail
• Between the floor and rail
• Between the headboard and rail, that can cause residents actual harm

Wrongful Death

When an assisted living resident dies due to the negligence of healthcare professionals, staff, and facility administrators, it may be considered a wrongful death. If loved ones prove that staff did not give a resident proper care and they died, staff may be liable for wrongful death.

Negligent Care

When staff fail to provide care and help to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable and neglects to take proper care of residents leading to bed sores, falls, wandering, choking, malnutrition and infections.

Forest Park, Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers

If you, or your loved one, have suffered neglect or improper treatment while residing at Aperion Care Forest Park or any other nursing facility in Illinois, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC can help you stop the abuse now.

Our team of dedicated Forest Park, Illinois, nursing home abuse lawyers can take immediate action and help you seek financial compensation for your damages.

Contact us today by calling our law offices at (888) 424-5757 to schedule your free legal consultation to discuss the merits of your claim. We provide all legal services through contingency fee agreements, meaning you will not pay anything until we obtain financial compensation on your behalf.

Resources:

• American Psychological Association - Senior Citizens Abuse
• HRW: Apprehension Over Neglect in Long-Term Care Facilities
• NCBI: Older People Abuse in Nursing Homes