Many of the 1.5 million residents in nursing facilities in the U.S. are victims of mistreatment. In some cases, the nursing staff neglects these patients, or caregivers, visitors, employees, and other residents abuse, sexually assault or mistreat the patient.If your loved one was injured while living in a LaGrange County nursing facility, contact the Indiana Nursing Home Law Center attorneys now for immediate legal intervention. Let our team of lawyers handle your case to ensure your family is adequately financially compensated for your damages. Let us begin working on your case today.
This long-term care center is a 100-certified bed "for profit" home providing services to residents of LaGrange and LaGrange County, Indiana. The Medicare and Medicaid-participating facility is located at:
0770 North 075 East
LaGrange, Indiana 46761
(260) 463-7445
Life Care Center of LaGrange
In addition to providing around-the-clock skilled nursing care, Life Care Center of LaGrange offers other services. Additional focused care includes inpatient and outpatient rehab, dementia/Alzheimer care, and long-term care.
Indiana nursing home regulators and federal inspectors have the legal authority to penalize any nursing home identified as violating rules and regulations that harmed or could have harmed a resident. Typically, these penalties include monetary fines and denial for payment of medical services.
Within the last three years, investigators imposed two monetary penalties against Life Care Center of LaGrange, citing substandard care. These penalties include a $13,325 fine on July 24, 2017, and a $6,500 fine on June 16, 2017, for a total of $19,825.
This nursing facility also received fifteen complaints and self-reported three serious issues over the last three years that resulted in violation citations. Additional information concerning the facility can be reviewed on the Indiana Nursing Home Report Cards Website.
To ensure families are fully informed of the level of care every nursing home provides, the state of Indiana and Medicare.com routinely update their long-term care home database systems with info on violations, citations, and deficiencies.
According to Medicare, this facility maintains an overall rating of one out of five stars, including two out of five stars concerning health inspections, one out of five stars for staffing issues and four out of five stars for quality measures.
According to state surveyors, “the facility failed to ensure the physician was notified of changes for [one resident] reviewed with pressure ulcers.” The surveyors reviewed a Nursing Note dated April 18, 2018, at 2:48 AM. The note indicated “a dark purple pressure ulcer” was observed on the resident’s buttocks. The “note did not indicate the Physician was notified of the pressure ulcer.”
The following morning at 2:24 AM, the resident “continued with pressure ulcer of her buttocks, the areas dark purple to dark red in color. The note did not indicate the Physician was notified of the pressure injury.” On April 20, 2018, the resident received the new order to treat the dark purple area on the buttocks.
Two days later, on April 22, 2018, there was a nursing note indicating that the skin surrounding the dark purple area begin to peel back. There was “no indication the Physician was notified of the change of the pressure ulcer.” Four days later, on April 26, 2018, at 2:18 AM, the resident was being repositioned every two hours due to the left buttock injury that had reddened and now had slough (soft, moist, dead tissue). There was “no indication the Physician was notified of the change in the pressure ulcer.”
The nursing home “failed to ensure residents did not receive antipsychotic medications [before] an evaluation completed by the Physician.” The surveyors observed the resident on the morning of June 29, 2018, propelling her wheelchair down the hallway toward the dining room with other residents.
During that time, the resident “initiated conversation and started talking about her family. During the conversation, she was able to communicate her concerns for her children although she was unable to stay on topic and finish her thoughts. She did not express anxiety but indicated she felt better after talking and was observed to smile at the end of the conversation.”
A notation was made that on May 8, 2018, at 7:30 PM, the resident “became violent out of nowhere. The resident hit, kicked, scratched and spit at the staff. The staff is unable to complete care, and she had to be left in bed without a brief on.” Subsequent problems occurred when the staff was attempting to change the resident, and she began “biting, scratching, yelling, pinching, and hitting staff.”
The surveyors interviewed the Director of Nursing and the Social Services Director who indicated that the doctor “did not document in the Progress Notes each time he spoke with the resident or the staff regarding [the resident’s] behaviors.” The staff members indicated “that they were aware that the resident received ‘as needed’ antipsychotic medications.”
Do you suspect that your loved one suffered injury or died prematurely while living at Life Care Center of LaGrange? Contact the Indiana nursing home abuse attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center at (800) 926-7565 for immediate legal intervention. We represent LaGrange County victims of abuse and neglect in all areas including LaGrange.
We do not charge for case evaluations and consultations. Also, we provide a 100% “No Win/No-Fee” Guarantee. This promise means we will postpone all of your payments for legal services until after we have secured a financial recovery on your behalf.
Sources:
Attorney Jeffrey D. Powless
Licensed in Indiana
Chicago Nursing Home Injury Lawyer Nursing Home Law Center LLC Home