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In recent years, the CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) has determined that every facility-acquired bedsore is preventable. Because of that, the federal and state government agencies consider facility-acquired pressure sores (pressure wounds; bedsores; decubitus ulcers; pressure ulcers) to be an indicator of substandard care. Unfortunately, many nursing facilities fail to follow procedures and protocols when providing skincare, which often leads to the development of a pressure ulcer, especially for patients who are at risk for bedsores. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers have represented residents who have acquired pressure sores while residing at Illinois nursing facilities like El Paso Health Care Center.
This facility is a 123-certified-bed ‘for-profit’ Medicaid/Medicare-accepted Nursing Home providing cares and services to residents of El Paso and Woodford County, Illinois. The Center is located at:
850 East Second Street
El Paso, Il 61738
(309) 527-2700
As a part of the Peterson Health Care System, El Paso Health Care Center provides memory care, Alzheimer’s care, skilled nursing care and the Peterson Pathways Rehabilitation Program.
El Paso Nursing Home Resident Safety ConcernsThe state of Illinois and the federal government regularly update their nursing home database system with cromplete details of all safety concerns, health violations, opened investigations and filed complaints. The search results can be found on numerous sites including Medicare.gov.
Currently, El Paso Health Care Center maintains an overall two out of five available star rating in the Medicare star rating summary system compared to all other facilities in the United States. This includes four out of five stars for quality measures, three out of five stars for health inspections and one out of five stars for staffing concerns. The Woodford County nursing home neglect attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers have found many safety concerns, deficiencies and violations at this facility that include:
- Failure to Provide Adequate Treatment and Services to Prevent the Development of a Pressure Sore or Allow an Existing Pressure Sore to Heal
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 08/11/2016, a state investigator noted a deficient practice during an annual licensure and certification survey concerning the facility's failure to "perform hand washing during a dressing change of a pressure sore.”
An observation was made of a Registered Nurse on the morning of August a 2016 completing the following during a “dressing change that include: [the RN] washed hands and put on gloves, rolled [the resident] over, pulled done [the resident’s] incontinent brief, touched [the resident’s] gluteal area, took off gloves, opened [the resident’s] door and went to the treatment cart for supplies.”
Next, the RN returned to the resident’s room, “put gloves on and cleansed [the resident’s] pressure sore without washing her hands [...and] continued on with [the resident’s] treatment and applied the dressing without changing her gloves and washing her hands after cleansing [the resident’s] pressure sore wound.”
The state investigator noted that the actions of the nursing staff failed to follow the facility’s revised June 2002 policy titled Aseptic Wound and Skin Treatment Procedure that reads in part:
“Wash hands, put on gloves, clean the wound as ordered… Remove gloves and place in plastic bag, wash hands, put on clean gloves, and apply a clean dressing as ordered, using gloves or no-touch technique.”
The investigator interviewed the facility’s Director of Nursing on the morning of 08/10/2016 who stated that the resident “has a healing Stage IV pressure sore to [the resident’s] gluteal fold." The Director stated that the Registered Nurse “should have washed her hands and change her gloves before she left [the resident’s] room and in between cleansing [the resident’s] wound arnd completing [the resident’s] treatment.”
- Failure to Ensure That Every Resident’s Medication Regimen Is Free from Unnecessary Drugs
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 08/11/2016, the state investigator noted the facility’s failure “to accurately monitor a medication according to a physician’s orders.”
The state investigator reviewed a resident’s 02/24/2016 Nurses Note that documents a “new order to increase Depakote [an anticonvulsant medication used to treat migraines, bipolar and epilepsy]” for a resident diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, anxiety, and depression. However, it was noted that the resident’s clinical record “contained no documentation that [the resident’s] Depakote level was tested on 03/02/2016 as ordered.
The resident’s Physician Order Sheet (POS) for the month of August 2016 documents that the resident “is on Depakote 500 milligrams for a diagnosis of bipolar disease.” On the same POS, [the resident’s] physician ordered: “Depakote level every three months.” While the resident’s levels were tested on 12/11/2015 and 06/09/2016, no other testing documentation could be found.
The state investigator interviewed the facility’s Director of Nursing who confirmed that the resident’s “Depakote level was to be drawn every three months and stated ‘there are no more labs for [the resident].”
If you believe your loved one suffered harm while a patient at El Paso Health Care Center, contact Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers now. Our qualified Illinois knowledgeable attorneys have years of experience in handling cases that involve mistreatment, neglect, and abuse occurring in nursing facilities throughout Illinois.
We encourage you to contact our Woodford County elder abuse law offices by calling (888) 424-5757 today to schedule your free, full case evaluation. Our law firm does not require any upfront payment because we accept all nursing home neglect/abuse cases through contingency fee agreements.
Sources:
http://www.petersenhealthcare.net/el-paso
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6002745FIK08112016.PDF
