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The spread of infection in nursing facilities is a serious concern that has the potential to affect every resident with a compromised immune system or serious medical condition. Because of that, the nursing staff, employees, and administration are instructed to follow strict guidelines by the CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services), CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and federal agency others. Unfortunately, many nursing homes are staffed with employees that lack sufficient training to follow the established procedures and protocols, placing the health and well-being of the resident at risk. Sadly, the Woodstock elder abuse attorneys have represented many residents in nursing facilities who have been injured by preventable infections.
Hearthstone Manor
Hearthstone Manor is a 61-certified bed non-profit Medicare/Medicaid-accepting facility providing nursing services to residents of Woodstock and McHenry County, Illinois. The Center is located at:
920 North Seminary Avenue
Woodstock, Illinois 60098
(815) 338-1749
In addition to offering independent and assisted living options, Hearthstone Manor also provides respite care, skilled nursing care, rehabilitation services, hospice and memory care.
Woodstock Nursing Home Resident Safety Concerns
To ensure families have adequate information to make the best-informed decision before placing a spouse, parent or grandparent in a nursing facility, the federal government and the state of Illinois routinely update their nursing home databases. These updates include all the historical information involving opened investigations, safety concerns, health violations and filed complaints at every facility nationwide. The updated information can be found on numerous sites including Medicare.gov.
Currently, Hearthstone Manor maintains an overall three out of five available star rating in the Medicare national star rating summary system. This includes five out of five stars for quality measures and two out of five stars for health inspections. However, our Woodstock nursing home neglect lawyers have found numerous complaints and safety concerns involving this facility that include:
- Failure to Develop, Implement, and Enforce Programs That Investigates, Controls and Keeps Infection from Spreading
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 07/30/2015, the state investigator noted the facility’s failure “to ensure staff washes their hands, remove soiled gloves and handled linens in a manner to avoid cross-contamination of organisms. The deficient practice the nursing staff at Hearthstone Manor affected two residents at the facility “reviewed for infection control.”
During an observation at 1:15 PM on 07/22/2015, a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) wheels the resident “from the dining room to her room [...and] put on gloves, then grabbed [the resident’s] garbage can.” The investigator observed “wiped wearing the same gloves, [the CNA] provided. Care to [the resident. The CNA then removed the resident’s] soiled incontinence brief and applied a new incontinence brief [while] still wearing the soiled gloves, pulled [the resident’s] blouse down, reposition the pillow under [the resident’s] head, moved the privacy curtain and [the resident’s] wheelchair.”
The investigator then observed the Certified Nursing Assistant clipping “the call light onto the bed she tied the garbage bag closed, and carried [the resident’s] visibly soiled blanket against your uniform to the dirty utility room.” An unknown time did the Certified Nursing Assistant “remove her gloves until discarding the dirty linens in the soiled utility room [...and] did not wash her hands.” The CNA then “went to the clean utility room and retrieved a pillow and blanket for [the resident].”
A second observation was made at 11:55 AM on 07/27/2015 where a laundry aide “wheel the laundry cart down the hallway which contains clean clothing belonged to the resident [...and] placed a resident’s personal blanket on the hallway carpet [...and] picked up the blanket and placed it on [the resident’s] bed.” The investigator reviewed the facility’s undated Laundry Policy that revealed: “no linens or personal clothing should ever touch the floor.”
The state investigator noted that the actions of the Certified Nursing Assistant failed to follow established nursing home procedures and protocols and the facility’s 2010 policy title: Hand Hygiene Policy that reads in part:
“Perform Hand Hygiene: Before and after touching a patient. After contact with bodily fluids or excretions, mucous membranes, non-intact skin, or wound dressing. If moving from a contaminated body site to another body site during care of the same patient.
- Failure to Provide Every Resident Environment Free of Accident Hazards and Risks and Provide Adequate Supervision to Prevent Avoidable Accidents from Occurring
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 07/30/2015, the state investigator noted the facility’s failure “to maintain hot water and safe temperature levels at resident-use locations.” The deficient practice was first noted on 07/27/2015 during a tour of the facility occurring between 9:40 AM and 10:05 AM.
During the tour, “hot water temperatures were taken at resident tubs, showers and at resident accessible hand wash sink locations.” In the Dining Room, the hot water at the sink registered 142.5 degrees Fahrenheit, a scalding hot temperature, and the whirlpool hot tub measured 114 degrees Fahrenheit.
Woodstock Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
If your loved one has been harmed, abused, mistreated or neglected while residing in any Illinois nursing facility including Hearthstone Manor, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC can help. Our McHenry County elder abuse attorneys can hold those responsible for harming your loved one financially and legally accountable.
For assistance with a claim for compensation, we encourage you to contact our Woodstock Illinois nursing home abuse law firm today at (888) 424-5757 to schedule a free case evaluation. No upfront payments for legal fees are necessary because we accept all personal injury cases on contingency.
http://hearthstonewoodstock.org/
