Anytime an Illinois nursing home resident has a change in their overall condition, it is the requirement of the nursing staff to immediately notify the patient’s physician. The timely notification allows the doctor to determine if any follow-up or additional treatment, surgery or medical attention could help the patient maintain their quality of life. Unfortunately, not all nursing homes follow these procedures and protocols, which is often detrimental to the health and well-being of the patient. Our nursing home abuse lawyers represent victims of neglect and mistreatment who reside in Illinois nursing facilities including Skokie Meadows Nursing Center #2.
Skokie Meadows Nursing Center #2
This Nursing Center is a 111-bed ‘for profit’ Home providing services to residents of Skokie and Cook County, Illinois. The Medicaid Nursing Facility is located at:
4600 W. Golf Rd.
Skokie, IL 60076
(847) 679-1157
Skokie Nursing Home Resident Safety Concerns
The state of Illinois routinely updates their nursing home database system with comprehensive details of all health violations, filed complaints, safety concerns and opened investigations. The search results can be found on numerous sites including ltc.dph.illinois.gov. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC have viewed serious deficiencies and safety concerns at this facility that include:
- Failure to Notify a Resident’s Physician of a Change in Their Condition Including a Decline in Their Health or Injury In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 12/08/2014, the state investigator noted during an annual certification / federal Oversight and Support Survey of the facility’s failure to “notify and consult the physician of a persistent complaint of pain.” The state investigator also noted the facility’s failure “to notify the psychiatrist of an onset and worsening of a behavior involving [a resident].”It was noted that because “of these deficient practices, [the resident] suffered negative psychosocial outcomes and as a result, [the resident] continues to isolate himself and suffered a decline in ADL (activities of daily living) capabilities related to ambulation, toileting, dressing, bathing, and transfers.
An observation was made of the resident at 2:00 PM on 11/17/2014 while “in his room and [he] did not attend in-house activities.” Approximately one hour later, the Activity Director “stated [the resident] prefers to stay in the room because of a complaint of pain to his legs.”
A follow-up observation was made of the resident that same day at 4:00 PM while “on his bed, in a bent (fetal) position.” The resident “had difficulty changing his position from the bed to a standing position […and] move slowly, with facial grimacing, while changing his position to grab his walker.”
The investigator noted that the resident “was able to get out of bed and stabilize himself in a stooping position […and] walked approximately three feet distance (from his bed to his dresser) with a slow and wobbly gait using his walker.”
A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) providing the resident care on the morning of 11/19/2015 stated that the resident “cannot pull his pants and [the resident] cannot tie his shoes. When asked about grooming, personal hygiene, and bathing,” the CNA replied, “I do everything for him.”
A Registered Nurse was interviewed by the state investigator on the morning of 11/18/2014 and stated “that the doctor should have been notified to obtain an order for pain relief when [the resident] complained of pain.” The Registered Nurse also stated, “I am going to assess [the resident] right now and will call the doctor.”
Later that morning, the attending physician told the investigator that the resident “has chronic pain because of osteoarthritis […and] stated that the facility does not allow PRN [as needed] pain medications for more than two weeks.” The physician also stated that “he depends on the nurses to notify them of a resident complains of pain […and] he was not aware that [the resident] was still complaining of pain […and] stated that he would have ordered pain medication for [the resident] if he was notified earlier.”
The state investigator also noted that the physician stated “he was not aware of [the resident’s] overall decline of condition.” As a part of the investigation, the state surveyor interviewed the Assistant Director of Nursing on the morning of 11/19/2015 who stated that “when a resident shows a decline of abilities in ADL (activities of daily living), the staff should determine the kind of decline, notify the doctor, and discuss appropriate placement.”
Skokie Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
If you suspect your loved one has suffered harm through abuse, neglect or mistreatment while a patient at Skokie Meadows Nursing Center, call the Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC law offices today. Our skillful attorneys provide legal representation in victim cases that involve abuse, neglect, and mistreatment that occurs in Illinois nursing homes.
We urge you to contact our Cook County elder abuse law office at (888) 424-5757. Schedule your appointment today to speak with one of our experienced lawyers for your free comprehensive case review. No upfront retainers or fees are required because we accept every wrongful death lawsuit, personal injury case and nursing home abuse and neglect claim for compensation through contingency fee agreements. This means we are paid for our legal fees only after we have won your case at trial or negotiated an out of court settlement on your behalf.
Sources:
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6008643FIK01142016.PDF
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6008643FID01222015.PDF
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6008643FI12082014.PDF
