Nursing home Administrators are required by law to investigate and report every incident or allegation of abuse occurring in their facility. Unfortunately, many Administrators make the determination of what allegations are legitimate and those that are invalid. However, the law is specific that every incident must be thoroughly investigated and reported to the State Agency within 24 hours. This effort is designed to prevent additional abuse from occurring to the victim or others in the nursing home. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC have represented many victims of abuse who reside in Illinois nursing skill facilities like Cedar Ridge Health and Rehabilitation Center.
Cedar Ridge Health and Rehabilitation Center
This facility is a 116-certified-bed ‘for-profit’ Medicare/Medicaid-accepted Center providing nursing services to residents of Lebanon and St. Clair County, Illinois. The nursing home is located at:
One Perryman Street
Lebanon, IL 62254
(618) 537-6165
In addition to providing around-the-clock skilled nursing care, the facility also offers speech, occupational and physical therapies, short-term rehabilitation, diabetes management, cognition improvement, advanced wound management, dysphagia program, orthopedic rehabilitation, pain management, respiratory therapy, pulmonary rehabilitation and joint replacement therapy.
Lebanon Nursing Home Resident Safety Concerns
The Federal government and Illinois nursing home regulatory agencies routinely update the nursing home database system containing the complete list of all filed complaints, safety concerns, health violations and opened investigations. This information can be found on numerous websites including Medicare.gov.
Currently, Cedar Ridge Health and Rehabilitation Center maintains an overall two out of five available star rating in the Medicare comparative analysis system. This includes five out of five stars for quality measures, three out of five stars for staffing concerns and one out of five stars for health inspections. The St. Clair County nursing home neglect attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC have found serious safety concerns at this facility that include:
- Failure to Investigate and Report an Allegation of Abuse Occurring at the Facility
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 06/23/2016, a complaint investigation against the facility was opened for its failure to “report an allegation of abuse immediately to the Administrator and delayed initial investigation of potential abuse.” The deficient practice by the nursing staff and Administration at Cedar Ridge Health and Rehabilitation Center affected one resident.
The deficient practice was first noted in the investigator’s findings that at 3:21 PM on 06/22/2016, the facility’s Administrator and Director of Nursing “were asked if they were aware of an allegation of rough handling by [a Certified Nursing Aide (CNA)] during care of [the resident] that [the CNA] poked [the resident’s] pressure ulcer when turned and that this incident was reported to two [Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs)].”
The facility Administrator stated “he was not aware of the incident and will initiate an investigation immediately […and] stated he will notify [the CNA] that he is suspended pending result of the investigation.”
In a separate summary statement of deficiencies dated 12/07/2015, a notation was made during an annual licensure and certification survey by a state investigator concerning the facility’s failure to “investigate an incident of theft” involving a resident.
The state investigator reviewed the facility’s 03/10/2015 Resident Council Meeting Minutes the documented “resident stated her credit card was taken out of her wallet and put back after two charges were made.” The minutes also revealed that the Administrator “was present during the meeting.”
The Administrator stated at 4:30 PM on 12/02/2015 that the resident “stated in a group meeting that her credit card was stolen and purchases were made and the card was put back into her wallet. I kept [the resident] after the meeting so I could talk to her about her credit card. [the resident] told me it was a close matter, the credit card company had been notified and the charges were taken care of and her son was taking care of it. … I did not investigate the incident or reported to the Illinois Department of Health.”
- Failure to Develop, Implement or Enforce Abuse Prevention Policy
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 06/23/2016, the state investigator noted the facility’s failure to “operationalize its Abuse Policy by not reporting an allegation of abuse immediately to the Administrator and delayed the investigation of potential abuse.” Investigator noted that the actions of the facility and Administrator failed to follow the facility’s December 2012 Abuse Prevention – Interventions, Investigation, and Crime Reporting Policy that reads in part:
“It is the responsibility of employees to properly report to the facility Administrator, local ombudsman (or local enforcement agency) and to the State Licensing and Certification Agency immediately or soon as practically possible within 24 hours of detection, any incident of suspected or alleged neglect or resident abuse from other residents, staff, family…”
Lebanon Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
If your loved one was the victim of abuse, mistreatment or neglect while a patient at Cedar Ridge Health and Rehab Center, contact the Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC law firm now. Our Illinois nursing home attorneys can stop the abuse immediately and handle your family’s claim for financial compensation against all those who caused your loved one harm.
We urge you to contact our St. Clair County elder abuse law office today at 888 424-5757 to schedule your free, no obligation initial case evaluation. Our law firm does not require any upfront fee or retainer to handle your case to its successful resolution.
Sources:
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6002869FA06232016.PDF
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6002869FIK12072015.PDF
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6002869FIAK01152015.PDF
http://bit.do/RILnursingCedarRidgeHCReh
