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Failing to appropriately manage a resident’s medications can place their health and well-being in immediate jeopardy. The nursing staff is directed by physician’s orders on what prescriptions to give and testing to perform to ensure that dangerous medications are not causing the resident additional harm. Unfortunately, the Moline elder abuse attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers have represented many residents who have suffered serious injury, harm or unexpected death caused by adverse reactions to their medications or a medication error.
Medication errors and testing issues often involve discrepancies between the physician’s orders and the actions of the facility’s nursing staff. Individuals with diabetes, or taking medications that thin the blood could experience adverse reactions or throw a blood clot unexpectedly causing a stroke or immediate death.
Riverwood Rehabilitation – Aperion CareRiverwood Rehabilitation – Aperion Care is a 120-certified bed for-profit Medicare/Medicaid-participating corporate facility providing nursing services to residents of Moline and Rock Island County. The facility is located at:
430 S. 30th Ave.
East Moline, Illinois 61244
(309) 755-3466
In addition to providing skilled nursing, Riverwood Rehabilitation – Aperion Care offers short-term rehabilitation, long-term care, respite care, hospice care, post-surgical care, wound care and IV therapy.
East Moline Nursing Home Resident Safety ConcernsThe federal government and the state of Illinois routinely update their nursing home databases in an effort to reflect the most recently opened investigations, filed complaints, safety concerns and health violations at every facility throughout the United States. The updated information is posted on various websites including Medicare.gov, through its comprehensive star rating summary system comparative analysis tool used by many families to determine the best location to place a loved one who requires the highest level of nursing care.
Currently, Riverwood Rehabilitation – Aperion Care maintains an overall one out of five available star rating compared with other facilities nationwide. This includes three out of five stars for staffing issues, two out of five stars for quality measures and one out of five stars for health concerns. Our East Moline nursing home neglect attorneys have found numerous complaints and safety concerns involving this facility that include:
- Failure to Ensure That Every Resident Remains Free from Unnecessary Drugs and That Their Drug Regimen Is Managed and Monitored to Achieve Their Highest Well-Being
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 09/03/2015, a complaint investigation against the facility was opened for its failure to "monitor for side effects of medications for [three residents at the facility] reviewed for medications.”
One incident involved a resident at the facility who was discharged from the hospital on 08/14/2015. The state investigator noted that an INR (International Normalization Ratio) test to detect and diagnose excessive clotting disorders and bleeding disorders as directed in a physician’s orders was not followed by the nursing staff at the facility.” The state investigator interviewed the facility’s Assistant Director of Nurses at 10:30 AM on 09/03/2015 who stated that the “INR ordered for 08/16/2015 and 08/17/2015 got missed somehow.” The investigator also noted that the resident’s MAR (Medication Administration Record) for July 2015, August 2015 in September 2015 fails to document that “blood sugars have been checked.” During an interview with the Certified Nursing Assistant providing the resident care at 1:55 PM on 09/01/2015, the CNA stated, “there are no monthly or weekly vitals that I know of.” A 9:30 AM 09/02/2015 interview with the facility’s Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) providing the resident care stated “I don’t know of any monthly vitals that are done. I’ve been here for six months I haven’t seen any monthly vitals. We do not do blood sugars for [this resident].” However, the LPN stated that “with [the resident] receiving hypertension medications, we should be doing blood pressures on [the resident].”
The state investigator also interviewed the resident on 11/02/2015 at 10:00 AM who stated: “they are not taking my blood pressure at all.” During an interview with the Assistant Director of Nursing at 12:35 PM that same day, it was confirmed that “the resident has no documented blood pressure reading since 07/28/2015.”
- Failure to Provide Necessary Cares and Services to Ensure the Resident Maintains Their Highest Well-Being
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 07/02/2015, a complaint investigation against the facility was opened for its failure to "recognize and treat pain for [a resident at the facility that resulted in the resident “having continuous, severe pain.” The state investigator noted that the resident “would complain that staff would take too long in answering [the resident’s] call light when he wanted to request pain medication and he had a lot of pain.”
It was also noted that a visiting family member stated that “during a visit, staff are slow to respond to [the resident’s] call light, and one staff did respond, they shut the call light off and said they would go get help. After the CNA did not return, I had to hunt her down.”
If you believe your loved one has suffered a medication error while residing at Riverwood Rehabilitation – Aperion Care or any other nursing facility in Illinois, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can take appropriate measures to stop the mistreatment now. Our Rock Island County elder abuse lawyers can assist you in building a case for financial compensation.
We encourage you to contact our East Moline nursing home abuse law firm today at (888) 424-5757 to schedule a no obligation, free case evaluation. No upfront fees are required as we accept all nursing home abuse cases through contingency fee agreements.
