Elder Law

Raids Target Felons in Chicago Nursing Homes

By Levin & Perconti

Federal, state and county officials swept two Chicago-area nursing homes for felons with outstanding arrest warrants and identified 18 residents wanted on charges ranging from disorderly conduct to burglary to assault. The early morning raids were initiated by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan in response to Chicago tribune reports about Illinois nursing facilities that house high numbers of felons and sex offenders. Five people were arrested, including a sex offender wanted in another state. Three residents were too sick to be taken into custody. The team found nine felons when it swept Columbus Park Nursing & Rehabilitation Center on Chicago?s West Side. They found nine residents with warrants at Heather Health Center in Harvey. The team also did a sweep at Sumerset Place. The number of felons known to be living in Illinois nursing homes has grown as the state increasingly relies on the facilities to house younger psychiatric patients. A spokesman for the Columbus Park facility stated that the majority of the outstanding warrants were for out-of-state crimes and would not surface during a background check. Heather Health Center was recently given an ?average? rating for the home despite the fact that there were 30 felons living in the nursing home. To read more about the Illinois nursing home raids, please click the link.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on December 28, 2009 (boomark / email).