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By law, nursing facilities cannot use a physical restraint against the resident without proper authorization and follow-up reviews and interventions to minimize their use in the future. Unfortunately, not every nursing facility follows established protocols and regulations and instead use the restraint without consent. Not only does an unnecessary or unauthorized restraint restrict freedom to move without being confined, it strips away the resident’s dignity and respect. Sadly, the Marengo elder abuse attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers have represented many residents who have been unnecessarily restraint by physical and chemical means.
Florence Nursing Home is a 56-certified bed for profit Medicaid/Medicare-approved nursing facility providing services to residents of Marengo and McHenry County Illinois. The facility is located at:
546 E. Grant Hwy.
Marengo, Illinois 60152
(815) 568-8322
In addition to providing long-term care solutions, Florence Nursing Home also offers around-the-clock skilled nursing care, intermediate care, respite care and physical and occupational therapies.
Marengo Nursing Home Resident Safety ConcernsFamilies who must place a loved one in a nursing facility often research federal and state nursing home databases to find the latest information on opened investigations, filed, safety concerns and health violations. The information can be found on numerous websites including Medicare.gov.
Currently, Florence Nursing Home maintains an overall four out of five available star rating in the national star rating summary comparative analysis tool system. This includes four out of five stars for health inspections and quality measures and three out of five stars for staffing issues. However, our Marengo nursing home neglect attorneys have found numerous safety concerns involving this facility that include:
- Failure to Provide Every Resident an Environment Free of Unnecessary Physical Restraints
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 06/03/2014, a notation was made during an annual licensure and certification survey by a state investigator concerning the facility's failure to "keep a resident free from restraints by not obtaining a medical diagnosis for the use of side rails, developing a reduction plan for the use of the side rails, and not trying alternative measures prior to using the side rails.” The deficient practice by the nursing staff at Florence Nursing Home applied to one resident at the facility “reviewed for restraints.”
The incident involved a resident at the facility with a Physician Order Sheet (POS) showing the resident “has diagnoses including Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety and cerebrovascular accident (CVA).”
The resident was observed at 2:05 PM on 06/01/2014 when there “side rail was up along the wall of the room and had padding attached to the side rail. The pad for the opposite side rail was on the floor halfway under the bed.” The investigator interviewed the Certified Nursing Assistant providing care at 4:25 PM that same day who stated that “Pads on the side rails are for seizures. She cannot do anything for herself, she is dependent on staff.” However, the investigator noted that the resident’s “clinical record does not have a diagnosis or history of seizures documented.” The resident was again observed the following day at 10:50 AM while “in bed with padded side rails up on both sides.”
The investigator reviewed the resident’s 08/04/2010 Physician Order Sheet (POS) that showed “padded side rails up X2 for fall prevention and to assist with bed mobility.” However, the resident’s 05/07/2014 MDS (Minimum Data Set) revealed that the resident “requires the extensive assist of two staff members for bed mobility.” The resident’s 10/23/2012 Care Plan states that the side rails assessment is ongoing and lists approaches that include “Consent. Family request two side rails up. Padded.” However, the investigator noted that the resident’s “care plan does not list a medical diagnosis for the use of two side rails or includes interventions to reduce the use of the side rails.”
- Failure to Provide Residents an Environment Free of Accident Hazards and Risks
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 08/20/2012, the state investigator noted the facility’s failure to “ensure residents are transported in their wheelchairs in a safe manner.” The deficient practice by the nursing staff at Florence Nursing Home affected two residents at the facility.”
In one incident, a resident “fell out of their wheelchair while being transported by direct care staff and… received a bump to her lower extremity while being transported in her wheelchair by direct care staff.”
If your loved one has been restrained without authorization or consent while residing in any Illinois nursing facility, including Florence Nursing Home, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can help. Our McHenry County elder abuse attorneys can protect your loved one’s rights and handle every aspect of obtaining the financial compensation they deserve for their harm.
To ensure their cases successfully resolved, we encourage you to contact our Marengo Illinois nursing home abuse law firm at (888) 424-5757 today to schedule a full, free, no-obligation case consultation. We accept all wrongful death lawsuits, personal injury cases and nursing home abuse claims for compensation through contingency fee agreements. This means we are only paid for our legal services once we have negotiated your acceptable financial out of court settlement or win your case in front of a judge and jury. All information you share with our legal team will remain confidential.
http://www.florencenursinghome.com/home.html
