Elder Law

Illinois Nursing Home Violation: Alden Alma Nelson Manor

By Levin & Perconti

We continue looking at the latest report of Illinois nursing homes that have been found to have violated basic laws concerning resident health, care, and safety. The Alden Alma Nelson Manor, a nursing home in Rockford, recently received several Type ?A? Violations from the Illinois Department of Public Health and fined $15,000. The violations resulted from improper emergency responses following the sexual abuse of several nursing home residents.

Specifically, state health officials discovered at least three instances where staff members failed to keep residents from being sexually abused by another resident. The attacking resident had previously been diagnosed with Bipolar disorder and post traumatic stress disorder. He showed clear signs of verbal abuse, physical abuse, and socially inappropriate behavior. Staff members were also aware that the resident?s physical size (over 6 feet tall, weighing roughly 230 pounds) made him an imposing figure to more vulnerable residents.

On at least three occasions members of the staff at the facility caught the resident having inappropriate sexual relations with other residents. However, following none of those incidents did the facility call police or emergency personnel. Instead, they simply talked with the abuser?s probation officer and asked about removing him from the facility.

Of course the delay in removing the aggressive assaulter meant that he had continued time to roam the facility attacking other vulnerable residents.

For some reason, the clear sexual, criminal abuse at the facility was consider unworthy of immediate police intervention. In all circumstances, a logical, necessary response to the crime would have been to contact police officers immediately, seeking treatment or the victims and protection for all other residents.

Our Chicago nursing home lawyers at Levin & Perconti have experience fighting for victims of negligent nursing home care. It is imperative that these facilities treat residents with the same respect, protection, and concern that all members of society deserve. There is no excuse for not immediately contacting criminal authorities when nursing home residents are victimized?whether the abuser is another resident, an employee, or a third party. Be sure to contact a nursing home attorney if you know of violations like the one here.

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

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on November 03, 2010 (boomark / email).