Do you believe that your loved one was mistreated while living in a Marion County nursing facility? If so, you owe it to them to become their legal advocate to hold the facility accountable. The Illinois Nursing Home Law Center attorneys have represented many nursing home residents with problems just like yours.
Our team of Chicago nursing home attorneys has successfully handled and resolved many cases involving abuse, neglect, and mistreatment in Illinois nursing facilities. If your loved one has been mistreated at Doctors Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, contact us now so we can begin working on your case today. Let us fight on your behalf to ensure your rights are protected, and your family receives the financial compensation you deserve.
This Medicare/Medicaid-participating center is a 120-certified bed facility providing services to residents of Salem and Marion County, Illinois. The "for profit" long-term care (LTC) home is located at:
1201 Hawthorn Road
Salem, Illinois, 62881
(618) 548-4884
The investigators working for the state of Illinois and the federal government had the legal authority to impose monetary fines and deny payment for Medicare services if the nursing home has been cited for serious violations of established regulations and rules.
Within the last three years, Doctors Nursing and Rehabilitation Center has received three formally filed complaints due to substandard care. Additional information about fines and penalties can be found on the Illinois Department of Public Health Nursing Home Reporting Website concerning this nursing facility.
To ensure families are fully informed of the level of care every nursing home provides, the state of Illinois and Medicare.gov routinely update their long-term care home database system. This information reflects a complete list of filed complaints, dangerous hazards, health violations, safety concerns, incident inquiries, and opened investigations that can be found on numerous sites including IL Department of Public Health.
According to Medicare, this facility maintains an overall rating of one out of five stars, including one out of five stars concerning health inspections, three out of five stars for staffing issues and one out of five stars for quality measures. The Marion County neglect attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center have found serious deficiencies and safety concerns at Doctors Nursing and Rehabilitation Center that include:
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated March 1, 2018, a state investigator noted the nursing home's failure to “prevent cross-contamination during resident care and maintain resident equipment in a sanitary manner.” The deficient practice by the nursing staff involved one resident “observed for blood glucose monitoring.”
Observations were made of a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) on the morning of February 26, 2018, who “used of blood glucose monitoring device to obtain a blood glucose rating for [a resident. The LPN] used a barrier yet wiped the blood glucose monitor with an alcohol pad before and after using it, then set the [device] on top of the medication cart.”
The LPN had stated earlier that “the blood glucose monitoring devices are cleaned with alcohol” saying that “the same blood glucose monitoring device is used for all residents located on the 200 Hall.” Five days later on March 1, 2018, the LPN “said there are currently a total of four residents on the 200 Hall that receive blood glucose monitoring and only one resident who uses the device during the day shift.” At that time, the LPN verified that the patient “is the only resident to use the device on the day shift.”
During an interview, a different LPN said that the “blood glucose monitoring devices need to be cleaned with the brand of hospital cleaner disinfected towels with bleach. At that time, [the LPN] supplied the towels and verified they were on the manufacturer’s approved list for the device in use at the facility.”
This LPN verified that the other LPN who was providing the resident care “did not use the approved towels for cleaning of the blood glucose monitoring device during the surveyor observation.” The investigative team reviewed the facility’s policy titled: Obtaining a Fingerstick Glucose Level that reads in part:
“Follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer of the glucose monitoring system to obtain a blood glucose reading.”
A review of the “manufacturer’s recommendations specific for the device, described in current use, reads that the blood glucose monitoring device needs to be cleaned and disinfected after each use. It also reads; wiping the meter down with soap and water [or another unauthorized cleaning solution] alcohol will not disinfect the meter.”
In a separate summary statement of deficiencies dated January 12, 2017, the surveyors noted that the nursing home had failed to “properly store and handle biomedical waste, resident clothing and failed to follow proper isolation precautions to limit and prevent the spread of infection.” This deficient practice by the nursing staff “has the potential to affect all eighty-five residents in the facility.”
The incident in question involved two patients in the facility sharing a room with a highly contagious resident would lab results in shows positive for “ESBL (Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase) of the urine.” A Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) providing the resident care said that the resident’s roommate “is on isolation.” Additionally, a resident sharing the adjoining bathroom with a contagious patient has to be moved.
Both residents sharing rooms and bathrooms with the contagious patient both said that “they have seen the staff empty [the highly contagious resident’s] bedpan in the bathroom that is adjoining the rooms but added no one uses the bathroom.”
The investigators interviewed a facility housekeeper who stated that “she is aware that some staff [members] empty bedpans in the resident’s bathroom, including [the highly contagious resident].”
During an interview with the facility Director of Nursing, it was revealed that both of the residents who were sharing facilities with the contagious resident “should not be in the room” since “neither resident has ESBL of the urine, adding there is a shared sink in this room.” The Director also said, “bedpan contents are to be taken to the soiled utility room.”
In a third summary statement of deficiencies dated January 4, 2018, the investigators noted that the nursing home had failed to “implement scabies infection control precautions for one of four residents reviewed for infections.” A review of the resident’s Progress Notes and clinical records show the resident “had a rash that was first identified with steroid cream being ordered.”
An entry made by the physician on December 31, 2017, shows that the doctor examined the patient and ordered a medication cream that “is used for scabies treatment.” The January 1, 2018, Progress Note shows that the patient “was sent and admitted to the “local hospital for evaluation of an unrelated medical condition.”
The investigators reviewed the resident’s Nursing Home Progress Note dated on December 31, 2017, that shows that the patient “has a skin rash of the upper left extremity and trunk with severe itching.” The Physician documents the assessment as a skin rash? Scabies? [Or other medical condition?].
The investigators reviewed the facility’s policy and procedure titled: Scabies that reads in part:
“Failure to identify scrapings as positive does not necessarily exclude the diagnosis. It is difficult to obtain a positive scraping [for scabies] because only one or two mites might cause [multiple problems].”
“Implement contact isolation. The affected resident should remain on contact precautions until 24 hours after the treatment. Individuals who come in contact with the infected resident or potentially contaminated bedding or clothing should wear a gown or gloves, or other protective equipment as established by the facility’s infection and exposure control program.”
The investigators interviewed a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)/Nurse Manager/Infection Control Nurse who stated that they were “aware the resident had treatment ordered for questionable scabies.” The Infection Control Nurse said that the resident “was transferred and admitted to the hospital before treatment was initiated, but stated the treatment was completed at the hospital.”
The LPN also said that once the resident “was transferred to the hospital, no scabies disinfection or precautions were done to the building.” The LPN confirmed that the resident “has a roommate” but said that that roommate “has had no rash appear that [they were] aware of.”
Failure to Provide Every Resident an Environment Free of Accident Hazards and Provide Adequate Supervision to Prevent Avoidable Accidents
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated July 12, 2018, the state investigators documented that the facility had failed to “assess, analyze the circumstances of falls, develop interventions, reevaluate for the effectiveness of interventions and supervise residents to prevent falls.” The deficient practice by the nursing staff involved three residents “reviewed for falls.”
One incident involved a severely, cognitively impaired resident who “has had five falls starting on July 2, 2018, until the morning of July 10, 2018. The first fall dated July 2, 2018, was described on the Fall Committee Meeting form as transferring self out of the wheelchair in the hallway, confused, combative and resistive to care. The recommendation is to do a urinalysis and perform frequent checks. The abnormal urinalysis results were received on July 7, 2018.”
The “Recommendation on the Fall Committee Meeting form is to try relaxation techniques such as music during episodes of agitation. The recommendation does not include the implementation of interventions to prevent falls.”
The third documented fall dated July 7, 2018, was described on the Fall Committee Meeting form as attempting to exit out of the building and was noted to be on the floor at the end of the hallways by the exit doors. The recommendation is to offer [the resident] a phone during increased agitation or exit seeking behavior. The recommendation does not include implementation of an intervention to prevent agitation or intervention to prevent falls.”
The resident’s fourth fall occurred on July 9, 2018, while the patient “was propelling self and was then noted to be on the floor. The recommendation is to educate the staff to ensure that [the resident] wears her shoes when out of bed. The recommendation does not include implementation of an intervention to prevent further falls.”
The resident’s fifth fall occurred on July 10, 2018, while the resident “was wheeling self to the dining room and fell out of the chair to the floor.” The recommendation by the Fall Committee is to let the patient “sleep and when the resident is agreeable. Again, the recommendation does not include interventions to prevent the further occurrence of falls.”
The investigators interviewed the facility Social Services Director who said that the resident “is often not redirected and sometimes requires more supervision or one on one attention.” The Director of Nursing said that “the staff is trying to work with the family and trying to find interventions that work.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated January 12, 2017, the survey team noted that the nursing home had “failed to follow their policy regarding completing a Background Screening Investigation for two of six direct care employees reviewed for background checks.” This failure “has the potential to affect all eighty-five residents in the facility.”
The investigative team reviewed the facility’s policy titled: Background Screening Investigations that reads in part:
“The facility will conduct background screening checks, reference checks, and criminal conviction investigation checks on direct access employees.”
“For the purpose of this policy, direct access employee means any individual who has access to a resident or patient of the long-term care facility or provider through employment or through a contact and has duties that involve (or may involve) 1:1 contact with a patient or resident of the facility or provider.”
The state investigators interviewed the facility Business Office Manager on the morning of January 10, 2017, who said that “she does not initiate background checks on professional staff” stating that the Administrator was hired “on December 21, 2016, and the Director of Nursing was hired on November 14, 2016.” The Business Office Manager said that “she did not conduct background screening checks or criminal conviction investigation for [the Administrator or Director of Nursing]” as required by law.
If your loved one is suffering from abuse, neglect or mistreatment while a resident at Doctors Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, the Illinois nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center at (800) 926-7565 can help. Our network of attorneys fights aggressively on behalf of Marion County victims of mistreatment living in long-term facilities including nursing homes in Salem. Contact us now to schedule a free case review to discuss how to obtain justice and resolve a financial compensation claim.
Our seasoned attorneys provide legal representation to long-term care home residents who have been harmed by negligence and abuse. Our legal team has years of experience in successfully resolving claims for compensation against caregivers who must be held accountable. Our attorneys accept every case concerning wrongful death, personal injury and nursing home abuse through a contingency fee agreement. This arrangement postpones your payment for our legal services until after we have successfully resolved your case through a jury trial award or a negotiated settlement.
We offer every client a “No Win/No-Fee” Guarantee. This promise ensures that you will owe us nothing if we cannot obtain compensation on your behalf. We can provide legal representation starting today to ensure your family is adequately compensated for your damages. All information you share with our law offices will remain confidential.
Attorney Jonathan Rosenfeld
Licensed in Illinois
Chicago Nursing Home Injury Lawyer Nursing Home Law Center LLC Home