Many families have no other option than to place a loved one in a nursing home to ensure that they receive the best, compassionate care in a safe environment. Unfortunately, many patients become the victims of mistreatment by caregivers, visitors, and other residents.
If you suspect that your loved one was abused, mistreated or neglected while residing in a Cook County nursing home, the Illinois Nursing Home Law Center attorneys can provide immediate legal intervention. Our team of lawyers has successfully handled and resolve cases exactly like yours. Contact us now so we can begin working on your case today.
This facility is a "for profit" center providing services to residents of Elmwood Park and Cook County, Illinois. The Medicare/Medicaid-participating 245-certified bed long-term care (LTC) home is located at:
7733 West Grand Avenue
Elmwood Park, Illinois, 60707
(708) 452-9200
In addition to providing around-the-clock skilled nursing care, Generations at Elmwood Park also offers other services including:
Both the federal government and the state of Illinois can impose monetary fines or deny payments through Medicare of any nursing facility that has been found to have violated the established nursing home rules and regulations.
Over the last thirty-six months, Generations at Elmwood Park received twenty-two formally filed complaints due to substandard care that all resulted in citations. Additional information about fines and penalties can be found on the Illinois Department of Public Health Nursing Home Reporting Website concerning this nursing facility.
The state of Illinois routinely updates their long-term care home database systems to reflect all incident inquiries, dangerous hazards, opened investigations, health violations, filed complaints, and safety concerns. This detailed information can be found on numerous sites including the IL Department of Public Health and Medicare.gov.
According to Medicare, this facility maintains an overall rating of one out of five stars, including one out of five stars concerning health inspections, two out of five stars for staffing issues and one out of five stars for quality measures. The Cook County neglect attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center have found serious deficiencies and safety concerns at Generations at Elmwood Park that include:
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated February 9, 2017, the state investigators documented that the facility had failed to “maintain safe transfer practice with mechanical equipment.” The incident involved a resident who “was sitting up in bed with the sling to a mechanical lift attached to the lift.”
The resident’s “bed is against the wall on one side by the rail down on the side by the lift.” The patient “verbalize with mouth movement that the sling is uncomfortable. The room houses [this resident and her roommate] both requiring respiratory support is with increased clutter of chairs, oxygen cylinders, trash carts holding contaminated personal protective equipment [PPE] obstructing the passage into and out of the room.”
Surveyors observed a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)/Supervisor in the patient’s room replacing a dead battery for the lift while being accompanied by the Respiratory Therapist. The CNA then lifted the resident up into the air using the mechanical lift and moved the resident “over the bed alone without having [the Respiratory Therapist] position to support the sling holding [the resident].”
During an interview with the respiratory therapist, it was revealed that they were thereby the “bed making sure nothing it pulled out. There should have been three of us in there so that someone could protect the resident in the sling.” The investigators reviewed the facility policy dated December 2013 that indicates “the use of the mechanical lift requires two people, one operating the equipment, privacy being provided, and the [patient’s] head and the legs while the resident is seated in the mechanical lift.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated February 9, 2018, a state investigator noted the nursing home's failure to “implement hand hygiene and infection control clean protocols to reduce the spread of infection and prevent cross-contamination.” The investigator said the facility also “failed to handle linens to prevent the spread of infection.”
During the investigation, the survey team documented that the nursing home had “failed to store and maintain oxygen equipment in a sanitary manner. These failures have the potential to affect all 171 residents residing in the facility.” In one incident, the surveyors made an initial tour of the facility on the morning of February 6, 2017, with the Assistant Director of Nursing.
During that tour, a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) “was observed standing outside [a resident’s room] with her medicine cart immediately outside the door jam.” The LPN “was ungloved and not wearing any personal protective equipment, but instead had a yellow isolation gown draped over her left shoulder while preparing medications for [the patient] while still in the isolation room.”
The surveyors asked the LPN “what type of isolation the residents in Room 21 had?” The LPN replied, ESBL (Extended Spectrum Beta-lactamase) of the urine.”
The LPN then “prepared the medications for the resident with ungloved hands while standing inside the room, [the nurse] then went outside the room, throughout the isolation gown that was on her left shoulder.” It was then that the Licensed Practical Nurse “took another isolation gown, garbed up, placed gloves on but did not wash her hands [before] entering the isolation room and administering medication to [the patient].”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated October 23, 2018, the state investigators documented that the facility had failed to “follow their abuse policy and ensure staff members are trained on identifying and reporting an allegation of abuse.” The deficient practice by the nursing staff involved one resident “reviewed for abuse.”
Documentation shows that on October 18, 2018, at 12:10 PM, a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) was in a patient’s “room, swearing and stated to [another CNA], ‘have you seen [another resident] lately, she is as big as ever, she is down the hall.’” The investigators reviewed the Registered Dietitian’s notes that indicate that the mentioned resident “is obese.”
The investigation included an interview with the facility Administrator on the afternoon of October 23, 2018, who stated, “I interviewed [both CNAs]; they have been suspended pending an abuse investigation, and an initial report has been sent to the State [Agency] Department.”
The facility Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services Director stated that same day at, “I am doing the investigation. If an employee here staff swearing or talking about another resident and it is not related to their care, that I would expect them to say something to the staff talking about a resident and report it. This [incident] could be considered intimidation or humiliation. We did an in-service regarding customer service.”
On the morning at October 23, 2018, one of the Certified Nursing Assistants involved in the verbal discussion about another patient said “I have not had training on abuse since I came back to work at this facility about a month ago. These types of abuse are physical, verbal and misuse of funds; that is about it, I think. When asked if she could describe mental abuse, the [CNA said] it is saying something bad about someone; I am not sure.”
The second Certified Nursing Assistant involved in the incident stated the same day that “mental abuse is degrading someone or making them feel bad. We shall report that to the Abuse Coordinator right away.” The surveyor then asked that CNA if they reported any abuse on October 18, 2018. That CNA stated, “I did not hear any abuse, so why would I report it?”
An in-service note dated the following day of October 19, 2018, indicates:
“No profanity; we need to be respectful of residents personal information and feelings at all times. Nothing derogatory. Facility abuse policy reviewed and indicates the facility prohibits abuse and its residents by training employees on abuse, establishing an environment that promotes resident sensitivity and prevention of mistreatment. Mental abuse includes but is not limited to, humiliation. The facility will cover what constitutes abuse, staff obligations to prevent and report abuse.”
“Employees are to report any incident, allegation or suspicion of potential abuse they observe or hear about to the Administrator immediately or to an immediate supervisor who then must immediately report it to the Administrator.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated October 18, 2018, the state investigators documented that the facility had failed to “follow wound care prevention intervention of turning and repositioning [resident’s] at least every two hours.” The deficient practice by the nursing staff involved one resident “reviewed for turning and repositioning.”
The resident’s Care Plan and MDS (Minimum Data Set) shows that the resident “was totally dependent on staff or requires two staff for turning and repositioning.” The patient’s “hands are contracted.”
A note from the Wound Doctor dated September 27, 2018 details a “sacrum wound is resolved, continue [skin] breakdown prevention.” However, the state investigators observed the resident on October 18, 2018, between 11:45 AM and 2:30 PM. During that time, the resident “was in direct visual contact and was observed at 10-minute intervals in bed, lying on her back with no repositioning.”
The investigators interviewed the Wound Care Coordinator on October 22, 2018, who said that the resident “had a hospital-acquired pressure ulcer Stage IV that recently healed on the sacrum.” The Coordinator said, “We identified a reopening on October 19, 2018.” The resident’s “catheter had leaked, and she was wet, and that may be why the wound reopened. Interventions in place to prevent skin breakdown is to turn and reposition every two hours or more often to offload the sacrum.”
The survey team reviewed the resident’s Pressure Ulcer Care Plan dated September 27, 2018, that shows the patient “is at risk for skin breakdown related to a level of dependence, incontinence, impaired physical mobility, and impaired cognition.” The resident “presents with difficulty in turning and repositioning secondary to severe contractures. Intervention includes turn and reposition minimum every two hours or more frequently as needed. Keep clean and dry as possible and minimize skin exposure to moisture.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated August 15, 2018, the state investigator documented the facility’s failure to “notify the resident’s physician and family of multiple episodes of emesis [vomiting].” The deficient practice by the nursing staff involved one resident “reviewed for a change in condition.”
The investigators reviewed the resident’s Progress Note dated February 9, 2018, that shows that the patient “had two episodes of emesis. There is no documentation that notes [the resident’s] family was notified of [their] change of condition.” Subsequent Progress Notes between February 10, 2018, and February 12, 2018, shows that the resident “had episodes of vomiting. There is no documentation that [the resident’s] family was notified of [their] change in condition.”
The investigators interviewed a Registered Nurse (RN) on August 15, 2018, who said, “No, we do not need to let the family know. It is not a major change in condition. We have not been doing that.” However, during an interview with the facility Director of Nursing that same day it was stated that “if the change in condition is persistent, then the staff should notify the family.”
The investigators reviewed the facility’s policy titled: Change in a Resident’s Condition or Status dated May 17, 2018, that reads in part: “our facility shall promptly notify the resident, his or her attending physician, and representative of changes in the resident’s condition or status.”
Do you suspect that your loved one is the victim of abuse, mistreatment or neglect while living at Generations at Elmwood Park? If so, contact Illinois nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers at Nursing Home Law Center at (800) 926-7565 today. Our network of attorneys fights aggressively on behalf of Cook County victims of mistreatment living in long-term facilities including nursing homes in Elmwood Park. Contact us now to schedule a free case review to discuss how to obtain justice and resolve a financial compensation claim.
Allow our seasoned nursing home abuse attorneys to file your claim for compensation against every party responsible for causing harm to your loved one. Our years of experience can ensure a successful financial resolution to make sure your family receives the financial recompense they deserve. We accept all nursing home cases involving personal injury, abuse, and wrongful death 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 provide all clients a “No Win/No-Fee” Guarantee, meaning you owe us nothing if we are unable to obtain compensation on your behalf. We can begin representing you in your case today to ensure you receive adequate compensation 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