Every nursing home patient has the right to be free of physical, verbal, mental, sexual or emotional assault by the nursing staff, visitors and other residents at the facility. Unfortunately, not all nursing homes provide a safe environment. In some incidences, the nursing home will hire verbally abusive Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, and Certified Nursing Aides, whose abusive actions are often detrimental to the health and well-being of the patient. The elder abuse attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC have represented many residents of Illinois nursing skilled facilities like Southgate Health Care Center who have been verbally, sexually, mentally, or physically assaulted by caregivers.
Southgate Health Care Center
This Nursing Home is a ‘for profit’ 140-certified-bed Center providing cares and services to residents of Metropolis and Massac County, Illinois. The Medicaid/Medicare-accepted Facility is located at:
900 East Ninth Street
Metropolis, IL 62960
(618) 524-2683
In addition to providing short-term nursing care, the facility also offers rehabilitation therapies and clinical services that include:
- Post-acute rehabilitation
- Stroke recovery
- Occupational, speech and physical therapies
- Congestive heart failure care
- COPD care
- Respiratory therapy
- Wound\wound care
- IV therapy
- Ultrasounds and x-rays
- Restorative nursing care
- Tracheotomy care
- Feeding tube care
- PICC line care
- Psychology and psychiatry services
- Palliative, respite and hospice care
Metropolis Nursing Home Resident Safety Concerns
A list of safety concerns, health violations, filed complaints and opened investigations on nationwide nursing homes can be reviewed from federal and state database websites including Medicare.gov. Many families use this information to determine the best facility to place a loved one who requires the highest level of hygiene assistance and skilled health care.
Currently, Southgate Health Care Center maintains an overall four out of five available star rating in the Medicare comparative analysis system. This includes four out of five stars for health inspections, three out of five stars for staffing concerns and two out of five stars for quality measures. The Massac County nursing home neglect attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC have reviewed safety concerns and deficiencies at this nursing facility that include:
- Failure to Provide Every Resident an Environment Free of Abuse In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 07/07/2016, a formal complaint was opened against the facility by a state investigator for its failure to “ensure that residents are free from abuse.” The deficient practice by the nursing staff affected a 68-year-old moderately cognitively impaired resident diagnosed with diabetes mellitus type II, knee amputation, peripheral vascular disease and non-pressure chronic ulcer.”The state investigator reviewed a resident’s behavior note entry made in the 06/19/2016 Progress Notes revealing that the resident “was verbally aggressive with the staff that [morning], cursing and yelling and staff while staff attempted care. The note further documents that [the resident’s] visitor (not identified) was video recording a nurse who was bent over providing [the resident] care and that the visitor was asked to stop [recording].”
At this time, the resident’s visitor and the resident “became verbally aggressive.” The documentation also revealed “that the nurse who was being recorded left the room and the other staff present completed care.”
The state investigator interviewed the facility’s Administrator on the morning of 07/07/2016 who stated that the facility “was investigating an allegation of verbal abuse of [the resident] by a nurse.” The Administrator presented a 07/04/2016 preliminary investigation involving the resident, a Licensed Practical Nurse and “an allegation of verbal abuse. The report indicated the allegation was made on 07/05/2016 at 6:30 PM by two visitors to the facility who presented [the Administrator] with a video located on one of the visitor’s phone.”
The administrator stated that “she watched the video and was immediately concerned […and] stated that it is believed [to be the] video recording [that] was taken on 06/19/2016 […and] stated that investigation was initiated at that time.” The investigation included resident and staff interviews and a review of the video and discussion with the President, Social Services and Assistant Director of Nursing. A determination was made “that verbal abuse had occurred […and the Administrator stated that the nurse in question] was terminated from [their] position.”
The state investigator noted that the actions of the facility failed to follow their Abuse Policy/Procedures that reads in part:
“Each resident has a right to be free from mistreatment, neglect or misappropriation of property… All employees are expected to follow this policy. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action.”
The facility Administrator provided a 07/06/2016 form that included the name of the nurse in a statement for the nurse’s reason for leaving as “unvoluntary” and that termination is due to [the nurse] speaking to [the resident] in an inappropriate manner, with documentation on a video taken by [the resident’s visitor].”
Metropolis Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
If your loved one has suffered an injury or died prematurely while a resident at Southgate Health Care Center, call Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC now. Our skillful Metropolis attorneys provide legal representation in victim cases that involve abuse, neglect, and mistreatment that occurs in Illinois nursing homes.
We encourage you to contact our Massac County area elder abuse law office today by calling (888) 424-5757 to schedule your no obligation, free comprehensive case review. Our law firm does not require any upfront payment because we accept all nursing home neglect and abuse cases through contingency fee agreements.
Sources:
http://www.southgatehc.com/clinical-services/
http://bit.do/RILnursing-Southgate-Healthcare-Center
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6008759FA07072016.PDF
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6008759FIK05202016.PDF
