Elder Law

Illinois Nursing Home Violation: Searles Group Home

By Levin & Perconti

Today we continue our examination of the latest report of Illinois nursing homes that have been found to have violated basic laws concerning resident health, care, and safety. Searles Group Home, a nursing home in Rockford, recently received several Type ?A Violations from the Illinois Department of Public Health and fined $10,000. The violations resulted from the facility?s failure to take proper steps after the allegation of physical abuse of a resident by one of its employees.

Earlier this year a resident at the facility with severe mental retardation was discovered with a strange bruise on her wrist. The employee who discovered it found it suspicious and asked her co-workers about it. At first it was assumed that the resident must have bumped into something. However, upon more investigation two employees admitted that the resident told her another direct service worker had hit her, causing the bruise.

As with most facilities, the nursing home has clear policies related to the appropriate contact and force that any employee should use on a resident. It also has plans that need to be followed after abuse is discovered so that other residents are not harmed by the dangerous employee.

Unfortunately, none of those procedures were followed in this case. The staff member involved was not suspended or disciplined in any way. The allegation of abuse went nowhere. The employee remained in her regular duties without any steps taken to protect other residents or punish the abuser.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on January 09, 2011 (boomark / email).