The nursing staff at every long-term care facility is required by law to provide or obtain physician services for every resident to ensure their health is optimized, maintained or improved. Unfortunately, not all nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and long-term care facilities train their nursing staff and caregivers properly to ensure that the health and well-being of the resident are protected. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC represent abused and injured residents of Illinois long-term care (LTC) homes like Herbstritt House to protect their rights.
Herbstritt House
This LTC Home is a 12-certified-bed Center providing cares and services to residents of Chicago and Cook County, Illinois. The Long-Term Care Facility is located at:
6300 N. Ridge Ave.
Chicago, IL 60660
(773) 973-6300
Chicago LTC Home Resident Safety Concerns
A list of incident inquiries, safety concerns, health violations, dangerous hazards, filed complaints, and opened investigations on statewide long-term care homes can be reviewed on database websites including the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH – ltc.dph.illinois.gov). Many families use this data to determine the best facility to place a loved one who requires the highest level of hygiene assistance and skilled health care.
The Cook County neglect attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC have found various deficiencies, violations and safety concerns at this long-term care home including:
- Failure to Provide Every Resident Physician Services to Optimize or Maintain Their Physical Health In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 03/24/2016, a notation was made by a state investigator involving the nursing home’s failure to “ensure vision and/or hearing evaluations are conducted at least annually for [two residents].” One deficient practice involved a resident whose “last vision examination was completed on 03/12/2013”, which was more than three years between visits.The investigator noted that “the examination notes that [the resident] should return in one year” and that the resident “does not have an annual vision evaluation.” Additionally, the resident’s “last hearing evaluation was completed on 03/18/2015. This evaluation notes that [the resident’s] bilateral responses fall below the standard and [the resident] has a previous diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss. It is recommended that [the resident] be reevaluated in six months.” The resident “does not have a current hearing evaluation and [the resident] was not reevaluated in six months.”The state investigator interviewed the facility’s Director just after noon on 03/23/2016 who verified that the resident “does not have current annual vision or hearing evaluations […and] verified that the facility did not reevaluate [the resident’s] hearing as recommended.”
Another resident’s medical records were reviewed revealing that the resident’s “last hearing examination was completed on 12/10/2014. This evaluation notes that [the resident] has a documented history of hearing loss. This evaluation notes that [the resident] should be reevaluated in one year.” The investigator noted that the resident “does not have a current annual hearing evaluation.”
During an interview with the facility’s Director, it was verified that the resident “does not have a current annual hearing investigation. The investigator reminded the facility that they must:
“Provide or obtain annual physical examinations of each client that at a minimum includes an evaluation of vision and hearing.”
- Failure to Administer Medications per Physician’s Orders In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 03/24/2016, the state investigator noted the facility’s failure to “ensure that all medications are administered without error.” The deficient practice by the staff affected one resident “observed during the morning medication administration.”The state investigator conducted an observation of a medication pass on the morning of 03/23/2016 when a Direct Service Person (DSP) was assisting a resident “with his morning medications.” Just after 8:00 AM, the resident “was observed to take one tablet of vitamin D 1000 IU.” The investigator reviewed the resident’s MAR (Medication Administration Record) noting that the resident “is to receive’ Vitamin D 2000 IU, one tablet at 8:00 AM’.”As a part of the investigation, a comprehensive review of the resident’s 03/10/2000 sixteenth room 04/08/2016 Physician Order Sheet (POS) revealed that the resident is to take Vitamin D 2000 unit tablet “take one tablet by mouth every morning – 8:00 AM.”
The facility Director was interviewed after the incident and verified the resident “receive one tablet of Vitamin D 1000 IU […and] verify the order is for one tablet of vitamin D 2000 IU […and] stated that she would notify the Supervisor of the medication error.”
Chicago Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
If your loved one was injured or harmed while a patient at Herbstritt House, contact Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC. Allow our seasoned Chicago nursing home abuse attorneys to file your claim for compensation against every party responsible for causing harm to your loved one. Our years of experience and dedication to a successful outcome can ensure your family receives the financial recompense they deserve.
We urge you to contact our Cook County elder abuse law office today at (888) 424-5757 to schedule your free, no-obligation comprehensive recompense claim evaluation. You are not required to pay any upfront fees or retainers because we accept all nursing home abuse and neglect cases through contingency fee arrangements. This means all payments for our legal fees for our representation and services are made only after we have successfully resolved your case in a jury trial or negotiated an out of court settlement on your behalf.
Sources:
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6010292FIK03242016.PDF
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6010292FIK05142015.PDF
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6010292FIK07102013.PDF
