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Heritage Health Therapy & Senior Care
Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, and Certified Nursing Aides at every Illinois nursing home are required to follow established protocols that eliminate the potential spread of infection in the facility. Unfortunate, not all homes provide proper training, supervision or monitoring of the nursing staff to ensure that these guidelines are being followed. This deficient practice has the potential of exposing every nursing home resident to harmful contaminants, bacteria, viruses and infections. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC represent nursing home residents who have needlessly suffered preventable infections while residing in Illinois skilled nursing homes like Heritage Health – Streator.
Heritage Health – Streator
This Center is a 130-certified-bed Medicaid/Medicare-participating Nursing Home providing cares and services to residents of Streator and LaSalle and Livingston County, Illinois. The ‘for-profit’ Nursing Facility is located at:
1525 East Main Street
Streator, IL 61364
(815) 672-4516
This nursing home provides long-term and short-term skilled nursing care, respite care, wound care, hospice care, restore therapy, restore-to-home options, daycare, IV therapy along with respiratory therapy and occupational/physical/speech therapies.
Streator Nursing Home Resident Safety Concerns
Families can visit Medicare.gov to obtain a historical list of all health violations, filed complaints, safety concerns and opened investigations of every facility nationwide. The information can be used to determine the level of health and hygiene care every community nursing home provides its patients.
Currently, Heritage Health – Streator maintains an overall five out of five available star rating in the Medicare summary system compared to all other facilities in the United States. This includes five out of five stars for health inspections and three out of five stars for staffing concerns and quality measures. The LaSalle and Livingston County nursing home neglect attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC have found numerous deficiencies and safety concerns at this nursing home that include:
- Failure to Follow Procedures and Protocols to Eliminate the Spread of Infection
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 12/19/2014, a notation was made by the state surveyor while performing an annual licensure and certification survey in regards to the facility’s failure to “cleanse the wound and wash hands while performing wound care prevention.”
The deficient practice was first noted in the state investigator’s findings after an observation was made of a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) on the morning of 12/18/2014 performing “coccyx wound care prevention on [the resident].” The LPN cleansed the resident’s “coccyx wound in a circular motion, over the same area, with the same gauze four times.” The LPN then “folded the same gauze over and cleansed [the resident’s] coccyx wound in a circular motion, over the same area, two more times.”
The LPN completed the resident’s coccyx wound care prevention and removed their “gloves at bedside [before wiping] down the resident’s bedside table and placed the water pitcher… drink and Kleenex back onto the top of the bedside table without washing [their] hands.”
The investigator interviewed the facility’s Assistant Director of Nursing on the afternoon of 12/18/2014 who stated: “that staff should not cleanse in a circular pattern and staff should pat the area [...and] should wash their hands right away after removing gloves.” The investigator noted that the actions of the nursing staff failed to follow the facility’s 03/01/2010 policy titled: Glove Use that reads in part:
“Wash hands after removing gloves. Gloves do not replace hand washing.”
In a separate summary statement of deficiencies dated 03/07/2013, the state investigator noted the nursing home’s failure “to follow the facility’s Glove Use and Hand Hygiene policy for one resident… reviewed for bowel and bladder incontinence.”
The deficient practice was first noted in the state investigator’s findings after observing a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) on the morning of 03/04/2013 repositioning a resident with the assistance of a Certified Nursing Assistant. Both members of the nursing staff touch the resident’s “suprapubic urinary catheter with bare hands.” The LPN “then rearrange [the resident’s] bed blankets without washing [their] hands.”
At the time of the observation, the facility’s Director of Nursing was in the room and confirmed “the gloves should be worn when touching or moving a urinary catheter. The investigator noted that the actions of the nursing staff failed to follow the facility’s March for 2012 policy title Glove Use: When to Use Gloves that reads in part:
“Gloves should be used when handling potentially contaminated items and when it is likely that hands will come in contact with blood, bodily fluids or potentially infectious materials.
Streator Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
If you suspect your loved one is being abused while residing at Heritage Health – Streator, call the Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC law offices now. Our skillful nursing home attorneys have successfully resolved many victim cases involving mistreatment, neglect, and abuse. Our attorneys can work on your behalf to ensure your family receives the financial compensation they deserve.
We encourage you to contact our Livingston and La Salle County elder abuse law offices by calling (888) 424-5757 today to schedule your free, full case evaluation. We accept every nursing home abuse and neglect claim for compensation through contingency fee arrangements. This means our fees are paid only after we have negotiated an out of court settlement on your behalf or have successfully resolved your case in a court of law.
Sources:
http://bit.do/RILnursing-Heritage-Health-Streator
http://www.heritageofcare.com/streator
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6004311FIK12192014.PDF
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6004311FIK03072013.PDF
