Elder Law

Some Illinois Nursing Homes on Federal Watch List Not Improving

By Levin & Perconti

Many Illinois nursing homes have been deemed in need of quality improvement by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). These poor nursing homes are part of a program aimed at improving the care provided to vulnerable residents?a project known as the Special Focus Facility Initiative. The list of delinquent facilities was compiled following CMS inspections indentifying poor care and safety hazards at various locations.

The inspections revealed that there were certain nursing homes that were clearly providing extremely substandard care?these homes had more problems that were more serious and had persisted for a longer period of time than at other locations. The improvement program was targeted at these egregious displays of inadequate nursing home care.

Be sure to check out the CMS website to learn more details about the creation of the program and the specific components of its operation.

Recently, the SFF initiative released a list that identified the improvement?or lack thereof?of the facilities participating in this program. Most usefully, the list classifies nursing homes into a variety of categories?improving, not improving, and those no longer participating.

Unfortunately, several Illinois nursing homes made the cut for those deemed to have not improved following efforts to minimize their care deficiencies. These include the Alden Wentworth Rehab and Healthcare Center in Chicago, Embassy Healthcare Center in Wilmington, Rockford Nursing and Rehab Center, and the Virgil Calvert Nursing & Rehab Center in East St. Louis.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on March 11, 2011 (boomark / email).