Personal Injury Law

Update on La Salle County Nursing Home Sex Abuse Investigation

By Beth Janicek

Recently I blogged about a La Salle County Nursing Home under investigation due to a male resident molesting 10 female residents. The nursing home now faces monetary damages from federal and possibly state health authorities. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has since sent a recommendation to U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that it fine the county $20,000 plus $100 for each day between June 6^th, when the complaint was filed, and July 6^th, when the review showed the nursing home was in 'substantial compliance.' IDPH spokesman Melaney Arnold said the IDPH is also still considering fining the nursing home.

The IDPH released a 61-page report after conducting an investigation of the nursing home. The report detailed how the male resident targeted female dementia patients, sometimes those who were non-verbal, and other female residents in an attempt to perform sexual acts on them. The male resident succeeded on 10 different occasions without proper action being taken by nursing home administration officials. IDPH officials determined that the nursing home failed six state requirements including failing to protect current residents and failing to prevent repeated occurrences of sexual abuse.

In Texas, our regulatory agency is Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (TDADS). TDADS needs to be vigilant in protecting the elderly and properly overseeing these nursing homes to ensure the vulnerable elderly are not abused by sexual predators.

Full post as published by San Antonio Personal Injury Lawyer on August 07, 2009 (boomark / email).