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Many families place their loved one in a nursing home to ensure they receive the highest level of care. Unfortunately, not every facility properly trains their nurses and certified nursing aides to follow physician’s orders. Their substandard care often compromises the resident’s well-being. The elder abuse attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers provide legal services to is treated and neglected patients residing at Illinois nursing facilities including Aperion Care Highwood.
The Center is a 104-certified-bed ‘for profit’ Medicaid/Medicare-approved facility providing services to residents of Highwood and Marine Township, Lake County Illinois. The nursing home is located at:
50 Pleasant Ave.
Highwood, IL 60040
(847) 432-9142
In addition to providing long-term care and skilled nursing services, Aperion Care Highwood offers physical, occupational and speech therapies along with cardiac rehabilitation, joint replacement/orthopedic therapy, post-stroke rehab, wound care, hospital/palliative care, Alzheimer’s/dementia care, IV infusion therapy, diabetes management, medication management and respiratory therapy.
Highwood Nursing Home Resident Safety ConcernsFamilies routinely research the Medicare.gov database system for a complete list of health violations, filed complaints, safety concerns and opened investigations.
Currently, Aperion Care of Highwood maintains an overall four out of five available rating in the Medicare star rating comparative analysis system. This includes four out of five stars for health inspections, three out of five stars for staffing concerns in two out of five stars for quality measures. The Lake County nursing home neglect attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers have found serious safety concerns at this facility that include:
- Failure to Provide Adequate Treatment and Services to Prevent the Development of a Bedsore or Allow Existing Bedsore to Heal
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 10/22/2015, a notation was made by a state surveyor during an annual licensure and certification survey involving the facility's failure to "provide wound cleansing and treatment as ordered.” The findings by the state investigator included a review of the resident’s 10/04/2015 physician’s orders that call for “cleanse deep tissue injury to coccyx with normal saline. Pat dry.” In addition, the physician ordered a dressing to be applied every two days as needed until healed.
An observation was made of two Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) providing incontinence care to the resident. When the resident “was turned on his side, there was a 1.0-centimeter by 1.0-centimeter pressure ulcer exposed on his coccyx with an adhesive addressing attached only to one side of the skin.” One Certified Nursing Assistant “reattach the soiled dressing. The dressing did not stay adhered and fell off, leaving the pressure ulcer exposed.”
The Certified Nursing Assistant then cleansed the resident’s buttocks. “While wearing the same soiled gloves, [the CNA] applied zinc oxide ointment to [the resident’s] buttocks, coccyx area, and directly on the open wound of [the resident’s] coccyx pressure ulcer. On 10/19/2015 at 2:10 PM, [the CNA] said that she put cream on the pressure ulcer because it needed something on it.”
An interview was conducted with the facility Wound Care Nurse on the morning of 10/20/2015 who said that “if a dressing falls off, the staff should leave the dressing off and notify a nurse right away in the nurse will change the dressing.” The wound care nurse also said, “that the CNAs should not be doing any treatments of the pressure ulcer [...and] that the CNAs should not put zinc oxide ointment on pressure ulcers unless it is ordered that they can apply it.” The investigator noted the actions of the nursing staff failed to follow the facility’s undated Dressing – Non-Sterile Policy that reads in part:
“Check physician order and resident allergies… Apply clean gloves… Clean area/wound was solution specified in treatment order.”
- Failure to Provide Every Resident an Environment Free of Accident Hazards
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 10/22/2015, a notation was made during an annual licensure and certification survey by a state investigator concerning the facility's failure to "ensure a resident with swallowing difficulties was supervised and safely fed by a trained staff member.”
The investigator reviewed a resident’s 07/08/2015 Plan of Care noting the resident “requires extensive assist with one staff to eat. Monitor/documents/report any signs of dysphagia: pocketing, choking, coughing, drooling, and holding food in their mouth.”
The investigator noted on the afternoon of 10/19/2015, a Dietary Aide was feeding the resident in the dining room. Upon interview, the Dietary Aide said “she had not had any training on how to feed a resident [...and] I feed residents that need help with feeding. I feed them to help the Certified Nursing Assistants out.” The Director of Nursing stated that day that “Dietary Aides are not allowed to feed residents.”
If your spouse, parent or grandparent has been injured or died prematurely while residing at Aperion Care Highwood, call the Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers law firm now. Our Illinois nursing home attorneys can fight for your loved one’s rights and take immediate legal action to stop the neglect now.
Contact our Lake County elder abuse law firm today at (888) 424-5757 to schedule a no-obligation free initial case consultation. All information you share with our law offices remains confidential. We accept every nursing home abuse and neglect case to contingency fee arrangements to avoid the need for an upfront retainer or payment.
Sources:
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6007280FIAK10222015.PDF
