Elder Law

Negligent Care Provided at the Champaign County Nursing Home

By Levin & Perconti

The Champaign County Nursing Home is under state investigation yet again for an incident involving mistreatment of a nursing home resident at the facility. As the Champaign News-Gazette reports, a resident suffered a laceration requiring 24 stitches when an nursing home aide attempted to move her. All transfers of this particular patient were supposed to have been conducted by at least two aides, so as to avoid injuries like the one sustained. In fact, a sign posted directly on the resident?s door reminded the staff members of this rule.

The incident has prompted an investigation by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

This blatant example of nursing home abuse is just one of several that have plagued the Champaign County Nursing Home recently. Earlier this year the institution was fined nearly $100,000 due to its violation of several Illinois Department of Public Health?s requirements. Those penalties were eventually reduced to around $14,000, but this latest investigation may drive up the penalty even further.

According to Mike Scavotto, a consultant hired to help run the facility two years ago, there has been a recent increase in the number of complaints filed against the nursing home. Mr. Scavotto suggests that each of these complaints appears legitimate. Clearly, an improvement in customer service and elder treatment is needed at the facility to stem this tide of improper andnegligent nursing home care.

Our Chicago nursing home lawyers at Levin & Perconti are leaders in fighting for the rights of Illinois nursing home residents. We have won several multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for negligent and abusive nursing home treatment. While the Illinois Department of Health works hard to hold nursing homes accountable for their substandard care, it is impossible for a single government agency to stop most of the abuse at these facilities. That is why it is important for private residents to contact nursing home attorneys any time they feel that the rights of a loved one have been violated by nursing home abuse.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on July 14, 2010 (boomark / email).