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Nursing home residents are susceptible to various types of infections that can easily spread throughout the facility if appropriate measures are not routinely followed. In fact, the elder abuse attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers have represented many nursing home residents who have suffered injuries and declining medical conditions due to infections that spread rapidly at their facility.
Nearly every resident in a nursing facility suffers from chronic illnesses and weakened immune systems that are only exacerbated by occupying common spaces in the nursing home. Without proper disinfection and following protocols for individuals suffering from contagious infections, the facility can become the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and viruses. When staff members are poorly trained, the resident can suffer life-threatening harm.
The most common types of contagious diseases in nursing facilities include influenza (the flu), gastroenteritis (viral or bacterial infection of the digestive tract that causes painful inflammation), multi-drug-resistant organisms including MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, VRE (Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus) and C. diff (Clostridium difficile).
Maple Crest Care CentreMaple Crest Care Centre is an 86-certified bed Medicaid/Medicare-participating for-profit skilled nursing facility. The center provides nursing services to residents of Belvidere and Boone County, Illinois. The facility is located at:
4452 Squaw Prairie Road
Belvidere, Illinois 61008
(815) 547-6377
In addition to skilled nursing, Maple Crest Care Centre provides a variety of other services and programs including:
- Cardiac management
- Orthopedic rehabilitation
- Respiratory care
- Respite care
- Long term care
- Orthopedic surgery and joint replacements
- Respiratory disease
- Cardiac management
- Stroke and brain injury rehab
- Complex post-surgical wound care
- Physical, occupational, and speech therapy
Federal and state nursing home regulatory agencies routinely update their national database comparing nursing facilities nationwide and post the information on their website Medicare.gov. Currently, Maple Crest Care Centre maintains an average three out of five available star rating when compared to other nursing homes throughout the United States. This includes five out of five available stars for quality measures, three out of five stars for health concerns and one out of five stars for staffing issues.
Our Boone County nursing home neglect attorneys have located numerous opened investigations, filed complaints, health violations and safety concerns involving this facility. Two of these concerns include:
- Failure to Develop, Implement and Enforce Programs That Investigate, Control and Keep Infection from Spreading throughout the Facility
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 11/18/2015, a state surveyor made a notation during an annual licensure and certification survey concerning the facility's failure to "clean urine soiled mattress during incontinence care to prevent the spread of infection.” The deficient practice by the nursing staff at Maple Crest Care Centre affected one resident at the facility.
The incident was first revealed 11:00 AM on 11/16/2015 when two Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) “provided incontinence care to [a resident whose] brief was soiled with urine. [The resident’s] urine soaked through the sheets and mattresses.” The surveyor noted that the mattress was visibly wet. Instead of cleaning the mattress, a Certified Nursing Assistant “placed a pad over the urine-soiled mattress” in direct violation to the facility’s policy titled Cleaning and Disinfection of Resident-Care Items and Equipment that states in part: “Reusable items and durable medical equipment will be clean and disaffected according to current CDC recommendations for disinfection.”
- Failure to Ensure That the Resident’s Call System Is Available in Their Room, Bathroom, and Bathing Area
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 11/18/2015, a notation was made by a state investigator during an annual licensure and certification survey concerning the facility's failure to "ensure the residents’ call system was operating correctly for [all] residents on the 100 wing.”
This failure was first revealed during a 9:00 AM 11/17/2015 environmental tour conducted by the state investigator with the facility’s Maintenance Director. During a random testing of the resident’s call lights on the 100 wing, four residents’ lights did not work properly and one “was not audible at the nurses’ station.
Additionally, the 11 call light systems did not work properly in 11 different resident bath/shower rooms. Upon interview, the Maintenance Director “stated the call light system was not on a preventative maintenance list and he only checked the call lights when there was a work order.” In addition, the Maintenance Director stated that “he had not received any work orders related to the call light system [...and] cannot fix a problem if he is not aware of the problem and the call light system should be fully operational.”
Negligence is often a leading factor in many infections found in nursing homes. Any frail, elder resident can contract an infection that leads serious injury or death. If an individual is harmed by the neglectful actions of the nursing staff, they are likely entitled to receive financial compensation.
If your loved one has suffered serious harm because staff members at the Maple Crest Care Centre or any other Illinois nursing facility failed to take reasonable, adequate proven measures to prevent the spread of infection, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can help. Our team of aggressive Belvidere elder abuse lawyers can assist you in determining the facility and nursing staff’s level of responsibility and provide you various legal options in seeking financial compensation for your damages.
We encourage you to make contact with our Boone County elder abuse law firm today by calling (888) 424-5757 to schedule a free, no-obligation case evaluation. We accept all nursing home neglect and abuse cases through contingency fee agreements, so no upfront payments are required.
http://www.maplecrestcare.com/
