The Chicago abuse and neglect injury attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC are committed to providing information about patient safety at Swansea Rehab & Healthcare Center. Our law firm believes that the more information you and your family has about medical facilities enables you to make more informed decisions. Below you will find information on Peterson Healthcare Swansea Rehab & Health Care Center obtained via public records.

This facility is a 94-certified-bed ‘for profit’ LTC Home providing services and cares to residents of Swansea and St. Clair County, Illinois. The Medicare/Medicaid-participating Nursing Center is located at:

1405 N 2nd St.
Swansea, IL 62226
(618) 233-6625

http://www.petersenhealthcare.net/swansea/

As a part of the Peterson Healthcare System, Swansea Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center provides residents with diverse services including:

Alzheimer’s care
Memory care
Skilled nursing care
Pathways Rehabilitation Program
Adult Life Skills Training
Depression management
Coping skills
Aggression management
Respite care
Recuperative stays
Hospice
Symptom management
Socialize activity programming

By law, every nursing facility is required to provide the highest level of care to ensure resident safety in a clean environment. Unfortunately, the Elder Abuse Attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers have represented many injured, mistreated and abused patients who reside at Illinois long-term care nursing homes.

Abusive Care

Physical Abuse
Sexual Assault
Medication Errors
Dropped Patients
Fractures
Bed Rail Entrapment
Wrongful Death

Negligent Care

Bed Sores
Falls
Wandering
Choking
Malnutrition
Infections

Family Resources

Nursing Home Ratings
Reporting Abuse
Valuing Nursing Home Cases
Nursing Home Lawsuit FAQs
Our Settlements

Nursing Home Patient Safety Concerns

To ensure that families are fully informed of the services and care that the long-term care facilities offer in their community, the state of Illinois routinely updates their comprehensive list of opened investigations, safety concerns, incident inquiries, health violations, dangerous hazards, and filed complaints of Nursing Homes statewide. This data found at Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH – ltc.dph.illinois.gov) can be used to make an informed decision before placing a loved one in a privately operated or government-run facility.

Currently, this facility maintains a two out of five-star rating compared to all other facilities in the United States. This rating includes one of five stars for health inspections, one of five stars for staffing issues and five out of five stars for quality measures. The St. Clair County abuse and neglect attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers reviewed serious deficiencies, violations, hazards and safety concerns at this long-term care home including:

Failure to Provide Every Resident Environment Free of Accident Hazards and Risks

In a summary statement of deficiencies dated September 21, 2017, the state investigator document that the facility failed to “implement interventions that were implemented after a fall of one resident.” The findings included a review of a resident’s Nurse’s Notes documented on August 3, 2017. The review stated that the resident was found “on the floor at the foot of her bed, upon a physical assessment, the resident [was] noted to have sustained a two-inch by six-inch bruise/laceration to the left side of her abdomen.”

The investigation concluded that the resident “was attempting to sell-transfer from the bed to the wheelchair.” The interdisciplinary team at the facility decided to remove the resident’s wheelchair “from the resident’s room to prevent the resident from attempting this activity” in the future. The resident’s Care Plan stated that the staff was “to place the wheelchair in the hallway when not use.” However, observation of the resident’s room at 2:00 PM on September 18, 2017, revealed “two wheelchairs were in the resident’s room. One was located 3 feet from her bed [while the resident] was in her bed sleeping at the time. No staff or visitors were present in the area at the time.”

A follow-up observation of the resident’s room at 10:00 AM on September 19, 2017, revealed “two wheelchairs in the resident’s room with one located 3 feet from her bed. Again, no staff or visitors were present in the area at the time.”

The state investigator interviewed the facility’s Administrator two days later who stated “that he surmised that the wheelchair was left in the resident’s room, as noted above because the resident’s frequent visitor sits in the resident’s wheelchair when she visits the resident. The Administrator stated he felt the staff were following the Care Plan properly.”

Failure to Provide Appropriate Pressure Ulcer Care to Prevent a New Sore from Developing

In a summary statement of deficiencies dated February 28, 2018, the state investigator documented the facility’s failure “to provide treatment, turning and reposition” for two residents … reviewed for pressure ulcers.” The investigator reviewed a resident’s Care Plan dated February 19, 2018, that documents [the patient’s] repositioning schedules. The resident’s Wound Notes dated February 19, 2018, showed a “sheer wound [on] sacrum [measuring] 1.0 cm x 3.0 cm by 0.2 cm, [with] moderate, serous exudate, 100% granulation tissue. The sheer wound to the left buttocks [at site number 2] 1.0 cm x 1.0 cm by ‘not measurable’ centimeters with moderate, serous exudate.”

The investigator continually observed the resident at 15-minute intervals on February 28, 2018, from 12:12 PM through 3:51 PM. The resident was observed to be sitting “in his wheelchair without the benefit of turning or repositioning or offloading of his sacral/coccyx area.” At 3:51 PM, a Certified Nursing Aide providing the resident care was observed removing the resident’s “saturated incontinence brief [that had a] dressing on the coccyx without a date” identifying when it was last changed.

A follow-up observation was made of the resident on February 22, 2018, at 1:54 PM when the resident was transferred “from her wheelchair to the bed [and] did not have any briefs on.” The resident “did not have any dressing anywhere on her buttocks/sacral area.”

In a separate summary statement of deficiencies dated December 14, 2017, the state investigator documented the facility’s failure to “complete a comprehensive assessment to identify and treat new pressure ulcers and provide timely repositioning to prevent the development of pressure ulcers for [a resident].” An investigator observed the resident at 11:00 AM on December 12, 2017 “in a wheelchair at the 100 Hall Nurses’ Station.” At that time, the resident was observed until 11:45 PM while “repeatedly calling out to go back to bed because her back and bottom hurt.”

Two Certified Nursing Assistants transferred the resident before providing incontinent care. During the removal of the resident’s incontinence brief, two open areas of skin were identified, “one on each buttock. There was no dressing on the buttocks and [one CNA] stated the dressing was not on when she got [the resident] up for breakfast. The left buttock’s open area was approximately 3.0 cm x 2.0 cm with a yellow/red area covering the ulcer. The right buttock’s open area was approximately 2.0 cm x 1.5 cm with granular tissue throughout.” At noon, a Licensed Practical Nurse providing the resident care “performed the dressing application [and stated that] the areas are new, and she did not know about them” before.

Failure to Immediately Notify the Resident’s Doctor of a Change in the Resident’s Condition

In a summary statement of deficiencies dated November 3, 2017, the state investigator identified the facility’s failure “to notify the physician for symptoms of infection for [one resident] reviewed for a change in condition.” The incident involved a resident admitted to the facility after a leg amputation above the knee.

A review of the resident’s Nurses Notes documented at 1:05 PM on June 3, 2017, read in part: “sutures removed from [the] stump, [a] dressing applied. Incision well approximated and closed. Scab noted to the right lateral side of the wound, no redness noted. Pus noted to be secreted from one suture site. Triple antibiotic ointment applied to the wound after cleansing. No odor noted.” However, “there was no documentation [that] a Physician or Nurse Practitioner was notified.”

Documentation dated four days later on June 7, 2017, at 11:05 AM revealed that an ambulance transported the resident to the local hospital with a red, warm incision site that was swollen with drainage. The state investigator interviewed the facility Resident Care Coordinator on the morning of November 1, 2017, who stated that “she could not remember if she called the doctor or Nurse Practitioner about the pus coming from the resident surgical site…”

Failure to Develop, Implement and Enforce a Program That Investigates, Controls and Keeps Infection from Spreading

In a summary statement of deficiencies dated September 21, 2017, the state investigator documented the facility’s failure “to follow isolation protocols to prevent the spread of infection” for one resident “reviewed for infection.” The laboratory documentation dated September 17, 2017, revealed that doctors diagnosed the resident with Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), a highly contagious bacteria that thrives in the genital tract and intestines.

The resident’s Nurses’ Note dated September 18, 2017, revealed that the resident “began antibiotic therapy related to VRE” and was placed “on contact isolation.” However, the state investigator observed a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) providing care to the resident at 7:40 AM on September 9, 2017, after entering the resident’s room and did not “don a gown or gloves.”

The CNA “left the room and came back with [another CNA].” Neither Certified Nursing Assistants donned gowns or gloves. The second CNA left the room and came back “with supplies, but she did not don gloves or a gown.” The first to CNA “was observed shutting the door to begin care” when neither CNA was wearing gowns or gloves.

The state investigator interviewed the Infection Control Nurse on the morning of September 21, 2017, who said “yes. I expect the CNAs to put on gown and gloves before entering an isolation room.”

Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys Prosecuting Cases Involving Swansea Rehab & Health Care

If you believe your loved one has suffered injury or harm while residing as a patient at Peterson Healthcare System Swansea Rehab and Health Care Center, contact the Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers law firm now. Our St. Clair County attorneys have represented clients who have been abused, mistreated or neglected by caregivers and other residents at their long-term care facility.

We encourage you to contact our Swansea elder abuse law offices by calling (888) 424-5757 today to schedule your free, comprehensive recompense case review. No upfront payment is necessary to receive our legal services because we accept all nursing home abuse and neglect cases through contingency fee agreements. This legally binding arrangement means will postpone the need to pay our legal fees until after we have successfully resolved your claim for compensation by negotiating an acceptable out of court settlement or winning your case at trial.

Sources:

Swansea Rehab and Health Care Center Ratings & Violations

Nursing Home Patient Safety Concerns

Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys Prosecuting Cases Involving Swansea Rehab & Health Care