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Many nursing facilities provide housing, care, and services to residents suffering from dementia or other behavioral problems. To safeguard their health and well-being, the nursing staff and employees must follow strict protocols to minimize hazardous conditions, including ensuring a safeguard from chemicals and medications is in place. Unfortunately, not all nursing facilities train their nursing staff and employees to follow these guidelines, which is often to the detriment of the patients. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers have represented Illinois nursing home residents who have suffered serious harm due to the negligent actions of caregivers while they resided at skilled nursing homes like Integrity Healthcare of Cobden.
Integrity Healthcare of Cobden
This Center is a ‘for profit’ Medicaid/Medicare-accepted Nursing Home providing cares and services to residents of Cobden and Union County, Illinois. The 74-certified-bed Nursing Facility is located at:
430 South Front Street
Cobden, IL 62920
(618) 893-4214
Cobden Nursing Home Resident Safety Concerns
Families can visit Medicare.gov to obtain a comprehensive list of all safety concerns, health violations, filed complaints and opened investigations that is routinely updated by the state of Illinois and the federal government. This information can be used to make a well-informed decision of which nursing facilities in the community provide the highest level of care.
Currently, Integrity Healthcare of Cobden maintains an overall four out of five available star rating in the nationwide comparison Medicare summary system. This includes four out of five stars for quality measures and health inspections and two out of five stars for staffing concerns. The Union County nursing home neglect attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers have found safety concerns and deficiencies at this nursing home including:
- Failure to Provide Every Resident an Environment Free of Accident Hazards and Provide Adequate Supervision to Avoid Injury
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 10/09/2015, a state investigator noted that the facility failed to “prevent access to potentially hazardous compounds.”
The deficient practice was first noted in the state investigator’s findings after observations were made of the White Wing Soiled Utility Room that was found to be unoccupied and unlocked on 10/06/2015 at 10:01 AM.” During the tour, an observation was made of a “one-gallon container bathroom cleanser on the counter.” The investigator noted that “the warning label for the product states ‘keep out of the reach of children. Danger’.”
Additional observations fourteen minutes later included an unlocked and unoccupied Personal Care Room. “A container of hair color was observed in the unlocked cabinet.” This container also had a warning label stating ‘Keep out of the reach of children’.”
The investigator conducted an interview with the facility’s Director of Nurses on 10/07/2015 who provided a list of “amblatory, confused residents in the facility who might have access to these compounds.”
- Failure to Develop Individualized Interventions to Avoid Pharmacological Care
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 10/07/2015, the state investigator noted the facility’s failure to “include and utilize individualized non-pharmacological behavioral interventions for [a resident] reviewed for behaviors.”
The deficient practice was first noted in the state investigator’s findings involving a 73-year-old resident diagnosed with “dementia with behavioral disturbances and psychotic disorder with delusions. The resident “has a history of prior psychiatric hospitalization.”
The investigator reviewed the resident’s 07/09/2015 through 10/05/2015 Nurses Notes revealing that the resident “was administered Ativan… intramuscularly for behaviors as ordered, after contacting [the resident’s] physician.” Ativan is a benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety.
The state investigator noted that the resident’s “Care Plan and Behavior Tracking do not include individualized approaches for [the resident] using suggested (or other similar) interventions.” In an interview with the facility’s Social Service Designee, it was revealed that “the staff is expected to use other approaches prior to calling the physician in obtaining a medication order to deal with behaviors.” The Social Services designee also verified that “there were currently no specific diversion all activities on the Care Plan.”
At 1:30 PM on 10/08/2015, the resident “was observed several other times throughout the survey frequently wandering the hallways, at times with staff walking with him one-on-one as agitation increase. The staff was not observed to offer [the resident] any type of diversion all activities at these times.”
- Failure to Find Alternative Interventions before Administering Psychotropic Medications
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 09/19/2014, a notation was made during an annual licensure and certification survey by a state investigator concerning the facility's failure to "provide appropriate behavior tracking for a resident receiving psychotropic medications and to ensure that medication was not given without an appropriate diagnosis.”
The state investigator noted that a resident at the facility had been given Zoloft, Risperdal, and Celexa each evening to control behaviors and as an intervention for depression. However, the only behavior tracking recorded in the August and September 2014 Care Plan/Behavior Tracking Record notes “wandering and it does not indicate the use of any psychotropic medications by [the resident].”
Cobden Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
If you believe your loved one was inappropriately drugged while a patient at Integrity Healthcare of Cobden, contact Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers now. Our Cobden nursing home attorneys have successfully resolved many financial compensation claims for victims of abuse, mistreatment, and neglect in Illinois nursing facilities.
We encourage you to contact our Union County elder abuse law office today by calling (888) 424-5757 to schedule your appointment for a full case review. No upfront fees are necessary because our law firm accepts every personal injury case, wrongful death lawsuit, and nursing home abuse/neglect claim for compensation through a contingency fee agreement.
Sources:
http://bit.do/RILnursing-Integrity-Health-Care-of-Cobden
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6004469FI10092015.PDF
