Elder Law

Illinois Nursing Home Violation: Arden Courts of Geneva

By Levin & Perconti

Arden Courts of Geneva, a care facility in Springfield, Illinois catering primarily to the physically and mentally handicapped, recently received a Type ?A? Violation from the Illinois Department of Public Health and fined $10,000. The violation resulted from an emergency situation at the facility which investigators deemed to involve nursing home abuse and neglect.

Late one evening a nurse was called into a resident's room to find him unresponsive on the floor. Inspectors of the facility explained that the nurse failed to perform CPR on the resident, even though signs indicated that the procedure was necessary. Further investigation indicated that the nurse was not certified in CPR as required by law and indicated in the individual's job description.

The nurse called 911, but left the resident alone between then and the arrival of the emergency personnel. The staff was also unable to determine if these resident was on the "Do Not Resuscitate" list. It took between 10-15 minutes for the ambulance to arrive, and the resident ultimately died at a nearby hospital.

Illinois nursing home investigators ultimately determined that Alden Courts of Geneva had failed to have the proper staff on duty, failed to maintain proper records regarding "Do Not Resuscitate" lists, and failed to provide the emergency care demanded by the Nursing Home Care Act.

Many residents live in nursing homes specifically because the homes are suppose to provide the quick, expert medical care necessary in life and death emergency situations. But all too often, nursing homes fail to provide the care that residents count on. This nursing home neglect has deadly consequences, as in this case from Arden Courts of Geneva. Failure to provide proper emergency care is just one of many forms of nursing home negligence.

Our Chicago nursing home lawyers at Levin & Perconti have experience fighting for victims of this abuse. Be sure to contact them or any similar attorney if you know of violations similar to the one at Alden Courts of Geneva.

The Illinois Department of Health produces quarterly reports on nursing home violators. To access the IDPH report on the Adloff Place violation, please click the link.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on June 26, 2010 (boomark / email).