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Any spread of infection in a nursing facility could be detrimental to every patient’s health and well-being. Because of that, the nursing staff, employees, and housekeeping must follow specific protocols and procedures that eliminate exposure to highly contagious diseases, infections, bacteria, and viruses. Unfortunately, not all employees follow the strict guidelines, which can be detrimental to a resident’s well-being. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC have represented residents of Illinois nursing skilled facilities like Montebello Health Care Center who have suffered from preventable infections and exposure to dangerous diseases including Clostridium difficile.
Clostridium difficile (C. diff) is a highly contagious bacterium that causes serious symptoms from diarrhea to life-threatening conditions including an inflammation of the colon. C. diff commonly occurs in nursing facilities to older residents who have been on extensive antibiotic medications for extended periods of time. In many cases, the infection occurs more frequently and is often more challenging to treat than other serious infections.
Montebello Health Care Center
This Center is a ‘for profit’ Medicare/Medicaid-approved Nursing Home providing nursing services to residents of Hamilton and Hancock County, Illinois. The 139-certified-bed Nursing Facility is located at:
1599 Keokuk Street
Hamilton, IL 62341
(217) 847-3931
As a part of the Sava Senior Care Healthcare System, Montebello Health Care Center provides rehabilitation services, respiratory therapy, dementia/Alzheimer’s care, bariatric care and IV therapy.
Hamilton Nursing Home Resident Safety Concerns
Comprehensive research results can be obtained through the federal government/Illinois Medicare.gov nursing home database that details every safety concern, health violation, filed complaint 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, Montebello Health Care Center maintains an overall five out of five available star rating in the Medicare star rating system. This includes five out of five stars for quality measures, four five stars for health inspections in two out of five stars for staffing concerns. The Hancock County nursing home neglect attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC have found numerous violations, deficiencies, and safety concerns at this nursing facility that include:
- Failure to Provide a Level of Care and Services to Eliminate the Spread of Infection
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 08/25/2016, an Illinois state agency investigator made a notation during an annual licensure and certification survey of the facility’s failure to “follow its policy on cleaning a resident’s room infected with Clostridium difficile (C. diff).” The deficient action by the nursing staff at the facility involved one resident “reviewed for isolation.”
The failure was first noted in the state investigator’s findings after an observation of a resident’s room just prior to noon on 08/22/2016 that “had a warning sign on the door stating ‘Contact Isolation’ and a small dresser with personal protective equipment was located next to the door in the hallway.”
The state investigator interviewed three members of the housekeeping department at the facility. At 1:15 PM on 08/24/2016, the Housekeeping Supervisor made a statement claiming “we are supposed to use 1:10 concentration bleach wipes on rooms with residents infected with C. diff.” The Housekeeping Supervisor stated that the resident’s “room is cleaned once a day.”
The previous day at 11:30 AM, the housekeeper in charge of cleaning the resident’s room stated that the resident’s “room is cleaned with the same products as every other resident room [...and] ‘I don’t know why [the resident] is in isolation’.”
A third housekeeper stated a few minutes later “I’m not sure why [the resident] is on isolations. We use Crew Cleaner in the toilets, neutral cleaner on the floors and A-45611 disinfectant to wipe surfaces just like we do in all resident rooms.” The investigator noted that the manufacturer of the A-45611 disinfectant cleaner information sheet documents that the product does not kill C. diff (Clostridium difficile). In addition, the Neutral Cleaner and the Crew Cleaner also “does not kill C. diff.”
The state investigator noted that the actions of the nursing staff and employees failed to follow the facility’s June 2016 policy titled: Contaminated Isolation Room Cleaning Policy that reads in part:
“To protect the facility from the patient, every effort is made to keep bacteria in the room and isolated in a double bag procedure along with using the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) approved solution… C. diff infected rooms need to be cleaned twice a day using an EPA-approved solution.”
Hamilton Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
If you suspect your parent, grandparent, spouse or loved one was the victim of abuse, mistreatment or neglect while residing at Montebello Health Care Center, contact Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC today. Our skilled Hamilton attorneys can file and successfully resolve your victim cases involving mistreatment, neglect or abuse and hold those who caused your loved one harm both legally and financially accountable.
We encourage you and your family to contact our Hancock County elder abuse law office today by calling (888) 424-5757 to schedule your appointment for a full case review. You are not required to make any upfront payment or retainer to receive immediate legal services. Our fees are paid only after we have successfully resolved your case by negotiating an out of court settlement on your behalf or winning your case at trial.
Sources:
http://bit.do/RILnursing-Montebello-Healthcare-Center
http://www.savaseniorcare.com/
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6006316FI10092015.PDF
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6006316FA11202013.PDF
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6006316FIK08222013.PDF
