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By law, nursing facilities are required to immediately inform a resident’s physician the moment there is a deterioration in the resident’s physical, mental or psychosocial condition. Providing the physician immediate information ensures that every measure can be taken to effectively manage their health and provide the opportunity to get better. Unfortunately, the Gifford elder abuse attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers have represented many nursing home residents who have been victimized by their caregivers’ failure to take appropriate measures when necessary.
When there is a need to alter a resident’s treatment, medication or therapies, including discontinuing existing treatment/drugs due to adverse consequences, doing so immediately is the only way to protect the resident from additional harm. Unfortunately, many facilities fail to take appropriate action to notify the physician the moment the resident experiences a change in their condition. This is often due to over staffing, minimal supervision or a lack of training to ensure the competency of every Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse and Certified Nursing Assistant providing care to the resident.
Country Health Care and Rehabilitation CenterCountry Health Care and Rehabilitation Center is a non-profit Medicaid/Medicare-participating 89-certified bed facility providing nursing services to residents of Gifford and Champaign County, Illinois. The facility is located at:
2304 CR 3000 N.
Gifford, Illinois 61847
(217) 568-7362
The services provided at Country Health Care and Rehabilitation Center include long term and short term skilled nursing, hospice care, respite care and restorative therapy which encompasses physical, occupational, and speech for both inpatients and outpatients.
Gifford Nursing Home Resident Safety ConcernsThroughout the year, the federal and state nursing home regulatory agencies routinely update their data on facilities throughout the United States. They post the result of filed complaints, opened investigations, safety concerns and health violations on numerous national and state websites including Medicare.gov. Many families use this information to make fully informed decisions about where to place a loved one who requires the highest level of care.
Currently, Country Health Care and Rehabilitation Center maintains an overall four out of five available stars in the national star rating summary comparative tool database. This includes four out of five stars for health concerns, three out of five stars for staffing issues and two out of five stars for quality measures. However, our Gifford nursing home neglect attorneys have uncovered numerous safety concerns. Two of those concerns include:
- Failure to Immediately Notify the Resident, the Resident’s Doctor and Family Members of a Change in the Resident’s Condition Including Injuries or Decline in Their Health
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 11/05/2015, a notation was made by a state investigator during an annual licensure and certification survey concerning the facility's failure to "notify the physician of a change in status.” The deficient practice by the nursing staff at Country Health Care and Rehabilitation Center affected one resident at the facility who suffers from dementia and is easily startled and “at times seems hypersensitive to touch or contact stimulation.” The investigator also noted that the resident “is often very anxious about the thought of having pain and will often yell out in an anticipatory fashion.”
A change in the resident’s condition was first noted in the 08/17/2015 Progress Notes completed by a Registered Nurse at the facility. The 3:20 PM note reveals that the resident appears “sleepy today, not vocalizing as [the resident] usually does. When [the resident] talks, [it] is very weak sounding. Will report [the problem] to the nurse to monitor.” Later that evening 8:05 PM, the Progress Notes reveals that the resident “noted slightly lethargic during the shift. Called [the physician] received orders to send [the resident] to the hospital for further evaluation.” However, in an 11/05/2015 follow-up interview with the physician, it was revealed that “the physician wasn’t called [... at that time and the nurse revealed stated] ‘I probably should have called the physician’.” The state investigator interviewed the facility’s Director of Nursing that same day on November 15,015 who stated: “the physician is to be contacted when a resident experiences a change in mental status.”
- Failure to Provide Residents an Environment Free of Accident Hazards and Provide Adequate Supervision to Prevent Avoidable Accidents from Occurring
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 10/07/2015, a complaint investigation was opened against the facility for its failure to "transfer one resident properly per care plan by using a partial weight-bearing lift (stand lift) instead of a full body mechanical lift.” The deficient practice by the nursing staff involved one resident “reviewed for transfers with assistive devices.”
The facility’s 09/06/2015 Occurrence Report revealed that a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) called the nurse to a resident’s room and found the resident “lying on her bed and noted with a big bruise on [her] right breast approximately 17 centimeters by eight centimeters in size.” At that time, the Registered Nurse “educated the CNA assigned not to use stand lift, only a mechanical lift.” The RN noted that “the bruised area is the same length and location of the belt use for the stand lift.”
If your loved one has suffered serious harm, injury, neglect or abuse while residing at Country Health Care and Rehabilitation Center, or any other nursing facility in Illinois, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can take immediate legal action. Our team of dedicated Gifford nursing home neglect lawyers specialize in elder abuse cases and can assist you in navigating the complex legal process to obtain the financial compensation you deserve.
We encourage you to make contact with our Champaign County nursing home neglect law offices today at (888) 424-5757. We accept all nursing home neglect cases on contingency, so no upfront payment is required.
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