The purpose of a fine is a deterrent. The more serious the breakdown in a facility, the higher the fines. We are very concerned about this ruling and the impact this is going to have on nursing homes around the state.
In addition to setting a limit on future nursing home fines, the judge’s ruling opens the door to reducing pending cases where there has been a fine proposed by the IDPH, but not formally imposed against the facility. Fines paid by Illinois nursing homes currently are pooled into a fund that helps the state monitor or temporarily take control over troubled nursing homes. Melaney Arnold of the IDPH said the agency will probably appeal the decision. Nursing Home Fines In many cases involving nursing home fines, facilities are forced to look at the way they do business and the way they treat residents. The sad reality is that in cases involving large operations, a smaller fine may simply be viewed as the ‘cost of doing business’. I hope the Illinois legislature addresses this issue and once again gives the IDPH the tools it needs to best protect the people of Illinois. Read more about this disappointing Illinois court decision here. Related Nursing Home Law Center LLC Blog Posts McHenry Nursing Home Hit With $360,000 In Fines Autopsy Confirms Man Was Murdered In Chicago Nursing Home