State and federal laws require that every incident or allegation involving abuse must be thoroughly investigated by the facility’s Administrator immediately and reported to the State Agency within five days of the incident. The investigative action by the nursing home ensures that the victim is protected from further abuse and provides information to the State Agency in charge of monitoring the actions of caregivers, employees, visitors and other residents at the nursing home. Unfortunately, not all nursing facilities follow these protocols, which is often detrimental to the victim. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC represent victims of abuse who reside in Illinois nursing facilities like St. Vincent’s Home.
St. Vincent’s Home
This Nursing Center is a ‘for profit’ 89-certified-bed Home providing cares to residents of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois. The Medicaid/Medicare-accepted Facility is located at:
1440 North 10th Street
Quincy, IL 62301
(217) 224-3780
Quincy Nursing Home Resident Safety Concerns
To ensure families are fully informed of the services and care that nursing homes offer in their community, the federal government and state of Illinois routinely update their comprehensive list of safety concerns, health violations, filed complaints and opened investigations of Homes nationwide. This data can be used to make an informed decision before placing a loved one in a Center.
Currently, St. Vincent’s Home maintains an overall two out of five available star rating in the Medicare national comparison rating system. This includes five out of five stars for staffing concerns, three out of five stars for quality measures and one out of five stars for health inspections. The Adams County nursing home neglect attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC have reviewed numerous safety concerns, violations and deficiencies at this nursing facility that include:
- Failure to Investigate and Report Allegations or Incidences Involving Abuse
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 09/29/2016, an Illinois state investigator noted during an annual licensure and certification survey that the facility failed to “investigate and report an allegation of abuse to the State Agency.” The deficient practice involved a resident “reviewed for grievances.”
The failure was first noted in the state investigator’s findings after reviewing a 02/02/2016 Resident Council Meeting that revealed “one resident stated that he made a ‘mess’ in his room and that was at dinner time and that the Aides took their time to come and help and then when they did, they laughed and joked and took pictures. Did not know if it was lunch or supper, but it was while other residents were at a meal.”
The facility Activity Director stated on the morning of 09/20/2016 that the resident “voiced concern during the Resident Council Meeting on 02/02/2016 [...and] stated that [the resident] reported that he had ‘messed himself’ in his room during a meal [...and] stated that the resident then reported that it took staff a while to come help [the resident] and when they (staff) did, they laughed and took pictures."
The investigator then conducted an interview with the facility Administrator on the afternoon of 09/20/2016 who verified that “no investigation was conducted or documented of [the resident’s] allegation of abuse.” The facility Director of Nurses stated earlier that day that “there was no written investigation and the State Agency was not notified of [the resident’s] allegation of abuse on 02/02/2015."
- Failure to Develop, Implement, and Enforce Policies Involving Abuse
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 09/29/2016, The state investigator noted the facility’s failure “to follow the facility abuse policy by not investigating and reporting an allegation of abuse to the State Agency.”
The state investigator noted that the actions of the nursing staff and Administrator failed to follow the facility’s Abuse Investigation Policy that reads in part:
“Should an incident or suspected incident of resident abuse, mistreatment, neglect or injury of unknown source be reported, the Administrator… will appoint a member of management to investigate the alleged incident.”
“The individual conducting the investigation will, as a minimum: … Interview any witnesses to the incident; interview staff members (on all shifts) who had contact with the resident during the period of the alleged incident… review all events leading up to the alleged incident…”
“The Administrator will provide a written report of the results of all abuse investigations and appropriate action taken to the state survey and certification agency within five working days of the reported incident.”
It was noted that the facility Administrator verified on the afternoon of 09/20/2016 “that there was no written evidence of [the resident’s] allegation of abuse on 02/02/2016" and there was no investigation and that the State Agency was never notified.
Quincy Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
If you believe your loved one has been harmed or injured while residing at St. Vincent’s Home, call Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC now. Our knowledgeable Quincy attorneys can provide legal assistance on your family’s behalf to ensure your case for financial compensation is successfully resolved against every party who caused your loved one harm, injury or a premature death.
We encourage you to contact our Adams County elder abuse law offices by calling (888) 424-5757 today to schedule your free, comprehensive financial claim evaluation. Our law firm does not require any upfront payment because we accept all nursing home neglect and abuse cases through contingency fee agreements.
Sources:
http://bit.do/RILnursing-St-Vincents-Home
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6005466FIK09292016.PDF
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6005466FMN06222016.PDF
http://www.idph.state.il.us/ltc/docs/SurveyResult/6005466FA09092015.PDF