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Whenever there’s a change in the medical condition of an Illinois nursing patient, it is a requirement of the facility to immediately notify the resident’s physician and responsible party/Power of Attorney (POA). This protocol ensures that the resident is receiving immediate medical attention when necessary. Failure to do so could compromise the health and well-being of the patient or cause their premature death. Unfortunately, not all nursing facilities follow these protocols due to a lack of training or comprehension of state and federal nursing home laws. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC have provided legal representation to Illinois nursing home patients who have been mistreated or abused at skilled nursing homes like Richland Memorial Hospital Skilled Nursing Facility.
Richland Memorial Hospital Skilled Nursing Facility
This Medicare-participating Center is a ‘not for profit’ facility providing nursing services to residents of Olney and Richland County, Illinois. The 14-certified-bed Nursing Home is located at:
800 East Locust
Olney, IL 62450
(618) 395-2131
Olney Nursing Home Resident Safety Concerns
Detailed information on each nursing facility in the US can be viewed on state and federal database sites including Medicare.gov. These government-run regulatory agencies routinely update their list of safety concerns, health violations, filed complaints and opened investigations on nursing homes nationwide.
Currently, Richland Memorial Hospital Skilled Nursing Facility maintains an overall five out of five available star rating in the Medicare star rating system compared to all other facilities nationwide. This includes five out of five stars for health inspections and three out of five stars for quality measures. The Richland County nursing home neglect attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC have found numerous safety concerns, violations and deficiencies at this nursing facility that include:
- Failure to Notify a Resident’s Physician of a Change in Their Condition Including a Decline in Their Health or Injury
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 10/02/2014, a notation was made by a state investigator while performing an annual licensure and certification survey involving the nursing home’s failure to “inform the physician of a significant weight loss of [a resident] reviewed for nutritional concerns.” The deficient practice was first noted in the state investigator’s findings involving a 74-year-old female resident admitted to the nursing facility on 09/04/2015 after staying in the hospital for seven days for treatment of “aspiration pneumonia.”
The state investigator reviewed the resident’s MDS (Minimum Data Set) documenting the resident weighed 102 pounds upon admission to the facility. Additional notes dated the following day also notes the weight of the resident to be 102 pounds. However, the following day the facility’s weight sheets revealed the resident weighed 111 pounds, and on 09/13/2014 there are notes that the resident weighed 104.5 pounds and two weeks later, on 09/27/2014 weighed 91.2 pounds.
Await observation was made of the resident while fully clothed and lying in bed using the bed scale on 09/30/2014 at 9:00 AM. The bed scale indicated that the resident had “a current weight of 88 pounds.” The investigator noted that the resident “had lost 14 pounds [or] 14% undesirable and unplanned weight loss.”
During an interview on the morning of 10/02/2014, the facility Administrator stated that “there was no record that the physician was informed of [the resident’s] undesirable weight loss and poor acceptance of a mechanical soft diet until 3:00 PM on 09/29/2014.
- Failure to Develop, Implement, and Enforce Policies Involving Abuse and Neglect
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 10/02/2014, the state investigator noted the facility’s failure to “implement the facility’s policy for Abuse and Neglect regarding pre-appointment screening. This has the potential to affect all seven residents in the facility.”
The investigator noted that the actions of the Administrator and employees failed to follow the nursing facility’s September 2012 policy titled: Abuse and Neglect Policies and Procedures under the heading of Pre-Employment Screening and Potential Employees: that reads in part:
“Check the Illinois healthcare Workers’ Registry on any individual being hired for prior reports of abuse, previous fingerprint check results and sex offender website links on the registry.”
“Initiate a live scan fingerprint check for any unlicensed individual being hired without a previous fingerprint check.”
The investigator made a notation that there was no documentation on eleven newly hired staff employees involving an initiation of a fingerprint check. These employees included a Registered Nurse, phlebotomist, maintenance employee, respiratory therapist, and six certified nursing aides.
Olney Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
If you and your family believe that your loved one was victimized by employees, caregivers, visitors or other residents at Richland Memorial Hospital Skilled Nursing Facility, call Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC today. Our respected Olney attorneys have represented clients seeking to obtain financial compensation from every party responsible for their damages, losses, injury, and harm. In addition, we provide legal advice, counsel, and representation to family members who of lost a loved one due to their premature death while residing in an Illinois nursing home.
We urge you to contact our Richland County elder abuse law office at (888) 424-5757. Schedule your appointment today to speak with one of our reputable lawyers for your comprehensive, complimentary case evaluation. You are not obligated to make an upfront payment because we accept every nursing home recompense claim through contingency fee arrangements.
Sources:
https://www.richlandmemorial.com/
http://bit.do/RILnursing-Richland-Memorial-Hospital-Skilled-Nursing-Facility
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6010581FI11052015.PDF
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6010581FI10022014.PDF
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6010581FI08022012.PDF
