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Many families choose to place a loved one in a nursing facility to ensure they receive the highest level of care, respect, and dignity in a loving environment. Unfortunately, many nursing facilities use physical and chemical restraints unnecessarily as a convenience to the nursing staff when the restraint has never been authorized by a physician in accordance with the law. In fact, the Zion elder abuse attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC have represented many nursing home residents who suffered injury and harm caused by unauthorized chemical and physical restraints.
Nursing facilities often use physical restraints as a way to control behavior or prevent the resident from falling. However, without adequate supervision, constant monitoring, and preventative measures, the restriction of movement can easily cause bedsores to develop. Often times, the resident is left with emotional or mental scars due to their inability to move independently. Without authorization, any form of physical or chemical restraint could be viewed as physical abuse or mistreatment of the resident.
Rolling Hills Manor
Rolling Hills Manor is a non-profit Corporation serving residents of Zion and Lake County. The 115-certified Medicaid/Medicare bed facility is located at:
3615 16th St.
Zion, Illinois 60099
(847) 746-8382
The facility also offers independent and assisted living with skilled nursing, pain management, stroke recovery and post-injury along with postsurgical rehabilitation.
Zion Nursing Home Resident Safety Concerns
Throughout the year, nursing home regulatory agencies of the federal and Illinois state governments routinely update their database comparative analysis tool involving nursing facilities nationwide. They post the data on numerous websites including Medicare.gov. Currently, Rolling Hills Manor maintains a five out of five available star rating compared to other nursing homes throughout the United States. This includes five out of five stars for health concerns, and four out of five stars for both quality measures and staffing issues.
However, our Zion nursing home neglect attorneys have found numerous safety concerns and health violations involving this facility. Two of those concerns include:
- Ensure That Every Resident Remains Free from Unnecessary Physical Restraints
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 12/10/2015, a state surveyor made a notation during an annual licensure and certification survey concerning the facility's failure to "assess, evaluate and document the medical symptoms for the use of bilateral full side rails [restraints].” The deficient practice by the nursing staff of Rolling Hills Manor affected one resident at the facility.
The failure involved a resident that “has no cognitive impairment [...and] requires extensive physical assist of two staff [members] for bed mobility and extensive physical assist of two or more staff [members] for transfers.” The state investigator noted that the same MDS (Minimum Data Set) shows the resident “does not use side rails.”
However, at 1:30 PM on 12/07/2015, the resident was observed being “asleep in bed with both full side rails up on each side of the bed. On 12/08/2015 at 8:40 AM [the resident] was in bed awake with two full side rails up on each side of the bed.” In an interview with a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) at the facility at 1:35 PM on 12/07/2015, the CNA said that the resident’s “side rails have been up to keep [the resident] falling out of bed [… stating that the resident] needs her to side rails up to prevent “her” from rolling out of bed.”
During an interview with the facility process Director of Nursing at 11:45 AM on 12/09/2015, the Director said “it is an oversight. It is not our practice to use full side rails. We are in the process of completing all the documentation needed for the use of the full side rails.” The Administrator of the facility said, “restraints need to be justified [...and] we did not have enough [quarter length] rails so we had a use full rails for [the resident] until we can order.”
- Failure to Develop, Implement, and Enforce a Program That Investigates, Controls and Keeps Infection from Spreading throughout the Facility
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 12/10/2015, a notation was made during an annual licensure and certification survey by a state investigator concerning the facility's failure to "ensure that staff placed a soiled adult diaper in a trash receptacle to prevent cross-contamination.” The deficient practice by the nursing staff at Rolling Hills Manor affected one resident at the facility.
The deficiency was discovered at 1:15 PM on 12/07/2015 when a Certified Nursing Assistant assisted the resident “with perineal care [… while] removing [the resident’s] wet, soiled adult diaper, used wipes to clean [the resident’s] perineum and then place all the soil items on [the resident’s] over bed table. The state investigator noted that the deficient practice by the Certified Nursing Assistant failed to follow the facility’s 2010 policy titled Infection Control that reads in part: “Environmental Service/Laundry: Do NOT place soiled linens on furniture, floor or other surfaces.”
Zion Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
If you feel that your loved one has been victimized by the nursing staff at any Illinois nursing facility, including Rolling Hills Manor it is essential to speak to Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC today. Our team of dedicated Lake County elder abuse attorneys has extensive experience in pursuing and investigating claims for compensation against nursing facilities causing injury and death of their residents.
We urge you to make contact with our Zion nursing home abuse law firm today by calling (888) 424-5757 to schedule your free, no-obligation case evaluation. These cases are handled through contingency fee arrangement, so no upfront payment is required.
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