Staff members at every Illinois nursing home are required to follow procedures and protocols to minimize the spread of infection throughout the facility. This includes taking special precautions to avoid cross-contamination when providing care to every patient. Unfortunately, many nursing facilities fail to provide adequate supervision, training, and monitoring of the nursing staff to ensure they follow established policies. As a result, patients are often exposed to preventable infections and exposure to contaminants, viruses, and bacteria. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC represent nursing home residents who have suffered needlessly from exposure to infections while residing in Illinois skilled nursing homes like Helia Healthcare of Olney.
Helia Healthcare of Olney
This facility is a ‘for profit’ 118-certified-bed Center providing nursing services to residents of Olney and Richland County, Illinois. The Medicaid/Medicare-participating Nursing Home is located at:
410 East Mack
Olney, Il 62450
(618) 395-7421
In addition to providing skilled nursing services, the facility also offers cutting edge rehabilitation services, long-term care, amputation care, fracture care, advanced respiratory services, IV therapy care, pain management, post-operative wound care, tracheostomy care, enteral nutrition and advanced wound care.
Olney Nursing Home Resident Safety Concerns
Comprehensive research results can be obtained through the federal government/Illinois Medicare.gov nursing home database that details every filed complaint, safety concern, health violation and opened investigation. Many families use this data to determine the level of medical, health and hygiene care nursing homes in their community provide their residents.
Currently, Helia Healthcare of Olney maintains an overall three out of five available star rating in the Medicare star rating summary system compared to all other nursing homes in the US. This includes five out of five stars for quality measures and two out of five stars for staffing concerns and health inspections. The Richland County nursing home neglect attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC have found various deficiencies, violations and safety concerns at this nursing home including:
- Failure to Maintain a Resident’s Dignity and Respect of Individuality
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 11/10/2015, a complaint investigation was opened against the facility for its failure to "respond to call lights/call light concerns in a timely manner.”
The deficient practice was first noted in the state investigator’s findings of an incident occurring at 3:15 PM on 11/09/2015 when a resident’s “call light was observed on and lit above her door. A continuous observation identified [the resident’s] light was on for eight minutes and 30 seconds. During this observation, the Administrator, Director of Nurses, Assistant Director of Nurses and Activity Director were observed to pass by the room without checking on [the resident]. Immediately after each observation, [the state investigator] checked on each resident.”
The state investigator conducted an interview with another resident in the early afternoon of 11/15/2015 who stated: “it is common to wait a ‘long time’ for her call light to be answered adding she has watched the clock, but did not give specifics.” The resident stated that “she has been incontinent of bowel due to waiting for assistance with the call light on.”
- Failure to Follow Protocols to Eliminate the Spread of Infection
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 11/10/2015, a complaint investigation against the facility was opened for its failure to "prevent cross-contamination during wound care.”
The deficient practice was first noted in the state investigator’s findings after an observation was made of the Registered Nurse “performing wound care on [the resident] on 11/05/2015 at 11:55 AM.” The Registered Nurse “entered the room with addressing care supplies obtained from the Treatment Cart. During the wound care, [the Registered Nurse] removed the soiled dressing from [the resident’s] right heel and picked up the Wound Cleanser with contaminated gloves [...and] proceeded to spray the cleanser onto the heel and cleanse the area with the same [contaminated] gloved hand.”
The Registered Nurse completed the new dressing care and “reached into her pocket to obtain a pair of scissors and pen. After using the pen, [the Registered Nurse] place the pen back into her pocket [...and] was not observed to change gloves at any time during this part of the observation.”
When the state investigator asked the registered nurse what does she do with the Wound Cleanser the RN replied: “the Wound Cleanser was a stock cleanser and will be placed back into the Treatment Cart.” At that time, the Wound Care Nurse/LPN informed the Registered Nurse “that the wound cleanser could not go back into the Treatment Cart due to cross-contamination.
Olney Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
If your loved one is suffering from abuse, neglect or mistreatment as a resident at Helia Healthcare of Olney, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC can help. Our seasoned and knowledgeable Illinois nursing home attorneys can assist you and your family in successfully resolving your financial compensation claim against the nursing facility, Administrator and/or nursing staff that caused your loved one harm.
We encourage you to contact our Richland County elder abuse law office today by calling (888) 424-5757 to schedule your appointment for a full case review. Our law firm does not require any upfront payment because we accept all nursing home neglect/abuse cases through contingency fee agreements. All information you share with our law offices concerning the mistreatment and neglect of your loved one remains confidential.
Sources:
http://bit.do/RILnursing-Helia-Healthcare-of-Olney
http://www.heliahealthcare.com/olney/
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6006910FA11102015.PDF
For more information on specific Helia Healthcare Services facilities, please reference pages below: