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Physical assault between residents in Illinois long-term care facilities is an ongoing problem. To ensure residents’ safety, the nursing staff is required to investigate any allegation or incident involving abuse, mistreatment or neglect and immediately report the incident to appropriate state agencies including the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). Unfortunately, not all nursing homes, long-term care centers and skilled bed facilities follow these procedures and protocols, which can be extremely detrimental to the resident, placing their health and well-being in immediate jeopardy. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers provide legal services to abused, injured or mistreated patients residing at Illinois long-term care (LTC) centers like Danforth House.
Danforth House
This LTC Center is a facility providing services and cares to residents of Chicago and Cook County, Illinois. The 15-certified-bed Long-Term Care Home is located at:
4540 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60653
(773) 373-1073
Launched more than 90 years ago, the McKinley Community Services-associated facility offers mental health programs, senior services and child development programs along with intermediate care facilities and developmentally disabled homes.
Chicago Long Term Care Home Resident Safety Concerns
Detailed information on each long-term care facility in the state can be obtained on government-operated websites including the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH – ltc.dph.illinois.gov). These government regulatory agencies routinely update their list of filed complaints, opened investigations, incident inquiries, health violations and safety concerns on nursing homes statewide.
The Cook County neglect attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers have reviewed serious safety concerns, incidents, violations, and deficiencies at this long-term care facility that include:
- Failure to Ensure a Resident’s Drug Regimen Is Free from Unnecessary Medications
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 07/14/2016, a state investigator noted the deficient practice while performing an annual licensure and certification survey concerning the nursing home’s failure to “ensure medication reduction criteria was incorporated in the program plan of [an individual] who is newly admitted to the facility in the past year."
The deficient practice was first noted in the state investigator’s findings after reviewing a resident’s records revealing that the individual “takes medications including clozapine and valproic acid.” The resident’s July 2016 Physician Order Sheet (POS) revealed a diagnosis of “a mild intellectual disability and schizophrenia."
The investigator interviewed the facility’s Qualified Intellectual Disability Professional (QIDP) on the afternoon of 07/13/2016 who validated “that a reduction plan was written in May 2016 but was not yet approved by the [facility’s] Human Rights Committee, which will be presented in August 2016.
The facility was reminded that “drugs used for control of inappropriate behavior must be gradually withdrawn at least annually in a carefully monitored program conducted in conjunction with the interdisciplinary team (IDT) unless clinical evidence justifies that this is contraindicated.”
- Failure to Investigate and Report Incidents or Allegations Involving Abuse
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 06/25/2016, a state investigator noted when performing an annual licensure and certification survey that the facility failed to “ensure the Illinois Department of Public Health [IDPH] was notified of a peer to peer incident of aggression between two individuals in the past year.”
The deficient practice was first noted in the state investigator’s findings after reviewing a resident’s 12/10/2014 records revealing that the individual was diagnosed with Severe Intellectual Disability and Intermittent Explosive Disorder. In addition, the resident has been identified with “behaviors including verbal aggression and noncompliance."
A review of the other resident’s medical records who was involved in the incident revealed that the individual functions with a Severe Intellectual Disability and “has identified target behaviors including physical aggression, noncompliance, and health risk behavior.”
Between 7:09 AM to 7:30 AM on 06/23/2015, both residents “were observed with the following: [The first resident] gave blowback to [the second resident] using their hand [and tapped the resident] on the head." The first resident grabbed the second resident’s “arm and shakes his arm.”
The facility’s June 2014 through June 2015 Target Behavior Log Sheets for both residents included behaviors of one resident “displaying physical aggression on 09/08/2015 from the 6:00 PM to 5:30 AM shift. No entry for [the other resident was revealed] in June 2015. However, “both clients were being aggressive with each other by squeezing and holding each other by the arms" on 09/08/2014, where one resident “displayed property destruction.”
The state investigator interviewed the facility’s Residential Service Director in the early afternoon of 06/23/2015 who said that the second resident’s “09/08/2014 incident was not reported to the Illinois Department of Public Health [IDPH] because [they were] not notified by the staff." The Director stated that “when staff tells me of an incident [I write] the IDPH reportable incident.
Chicago Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
If you or your family suspect that your loved one was the victim of abuse, neglect or mistreatment by visitors, caregivers, employees or other residents while residing at Danforth House, contact Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers now. Our knowledgeable Chicago abuse attorneys offer legal representation to patients with cases that involve neglect, abuse, and mistreatment happening in Illinois nursing homes.
Schedule your free, no-obligation comprehensive financial claim review today by calling our Cook County neglect and abuse law offices at (888) 424-5757. There is no need to make an upfront payment because we accept all nursing home claims for compensation on contingency.
Sources:
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6002356FIK07142016.PDF
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6002356FA11242015.PDF
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6002356FIK06252015.PDF
