An investigation into the incident revealed that Alden Town Manor failed to properly care for the patient in the following respects:
1. Assess a severely injured resident on the floor after a fall
2. Follow its own policy for residents with head injuries
3. Assess and develop interventions and re-evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions after a patient sustains a series of documented falls at the facility.
On March 6, 2010 staff responded to a loud noise in the room of an 83-year-old patient at the Alden Town Manor. When they arrived at the woman’s room they discovered the woman laying face-down on the floor, bleeding from an obvious cut on her head. When the staff arrived the woman was visibly injured but had a pulse.
Even though from the location of the wound and the profuse bleeding, a head injury was obvious, the staff at Alden Town Manor elected to move the injured patient from the floor to her bed without providing any stabilization for her neck.
A review of the patients hospital chart revealed that the woman sustained a fracture of the base of the Odentoid Process at C2. It is believed that the staff’s movement of the patient either caused or exacerbated the cervical fracture that contributed to her death.
In addition to violation of ‘nursing care 101’, Alden Town Manor staff violated their own policies and procedures for handling patients involved in a fall that specify staff are to complete a neurological assessment of each patient post-fall.
This incident is particularly disturbing in light of the fact that this patient had fallen at Alden two times prior and was further categorized as ‘high risk’ for falls according to her care plan.
As a result of the above occurrence, Alden Town Manor received a $30,000 fine from the Illinois Department of Health (IDPH).
If you have a loved one at Alden Town Manor and are concerned about the care they are receiving, we would honor the opportunity to speak with you. All consultations are confidential and our services are free if there is not a recovery for you.
For more information on nursing homes in Chicago look here. For laws related to Illinois nursing homes, look here.
Related:
Falls In Nursing Homes Are A Serious Threat To The Safety Of Many Patients
Even After Repeated Tragedies, Alden Wentworth Nursing Home Refuses To Hire Additional Staff To Assist Patients