Staff members in a nursing facility are entrusted to provide residents the best hygiene and health assistance. Unfortunately, many nursing home patients become victims of mistreatment through neglect or abuse by caregivers, employees, visitors or other residents. Some of these victims suffer harm including physical pain, sexual abuse, emotional distress or develop bedsores that could have been prevented had the staff followed procedures.
If you suspect that your loved one was mistreated while residing in a Cook County nursing home, contact the Illinois Nursing Home Law Center attorneys for immediate legal intervention. Our team of Chicago lawyers has successfully resolved cases just like yours. Let us begin working on your claim now to ensure your family receives adequate financial compensation to recover your monetary damages. We will use the law to hold those responsible for your harm legally accountable.
This facility is a "for profit" center providing services to residents of Chicago and Cook County, Illinois. The Medicare/Medicaid-participating 196-certified bed long-term care (LTC) home is located at:
6141 North Pulaski Road
Chicago, Illinois, 60646
(773) 478-2000
In addition to providing 24/7 skilled nursing care, Peterson Park Health Care Center also offers other services including:
The federal government and state of Illinois routinely monitor every nursing facility to identify serious violations of established regulations and levy monetary fines or deny payments through Medicare when problems are found. Typically, these violations result in penalties when investigators identify severe problems that harmed or could have harmed a resident.
Within the last three years, state and federal nursing home regulatory agencies imposed a monetary fine of $3923 against Peterson Park Health Care Center due to substandard care. Also, the facility received eleven formally filed complaints and self-reported two serious issues that all resulted in citations. Additional information about fines and penalties can be reviewed on the Illinois Department of Public Health Nursing Home Reporting Website concerning this nursing facility.
To be fully informed on the level of care nursing homes provide, families routinely research the Medicare.gov and the Illinois Department of Public Health website database systems. The sites post a complete list of incident inquiries, dangerous hazards, opened investigations, health violations, filed complaints, and safety concerns. This information provides valuable content to make a well-informed decision of where to place a loved one who requires the highest level of health care and hygiene assistance.
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 four 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 Peterson Park Health Care Center that include:
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated September 13, 2018, a surveyor documented that the facility had failed to “conduct a skin assessment, monitor skin for changes, and provide routine skin care [to] avoid the development of a pressure ulcer.” The deficient practice by the nursing staff involved one resident “reviewed for pressure ulcers.”
The state investigative team observed a resident “during a skin assessment” on the morning of September 11, 2018, accompanied by a Registered Nurse (RN) and a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). At that time, the resident “was observed to have an open area to the left lower buttock measuring 0.5 cm x 0.8 cm x 0.1 cm that did not have a dressing on it.”
The RN said, “that is new.” The CNA “was asked if she performed morning incontinent care [on the resident].” The CNA responded that “she did, but indicated she was not aware of the new open area.”
The surveyor noted that the resident “did not have any skin barrier cream in place to protect the skin.” The CNA said that “she could not find [the resident’s] barrier cream at that time, and that is why [the resident] did not have any on her skin.” The resident “also was observed to have raised blister-like bumps in between the buttocks.” The CNA “indicated that he would inform the Treatment Nurse.”
The investigators interviewed the facility Director of Nursing who stated during the interview that “the expectation is for the CNAs to apply barrier cream to the residents after incontinence care as ordered.” The Director “also indicated that the CNAs had received in-services on skin assessments.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated September 13, 2018, the state investigators documented that the facility had failed to “follow its policy on the use of a gait belt during transfers.” The deficient practice by the nursing staff involved three of six “residents reviewed for accidents.”
The state survey team observed two Certified Nursing Aides transferring a resident “from her wheelchair to the bed. Both [CNA’s grabbed the resident’s] armpits, lifted her up, pulled her pants on the back and transferred her to the bed.” The resident’s MDS (Minimum Data Set) Assessment dated July 1, 2018, revealed that the resident “needs extensive assistance from two persons physical assist during transfers.”
A few minutes later, another CNA was about to transfer a different resident “from her wheelchair to the bed.” That CNA grabbed that resident “from his armpits and lifted him and transferred him to the bed.” That resident’s MDS (Minimum Data Set) Assessment revealed that the patient “needs extensive assistance from two persons physical assist during transfers.”
The investigative team noted multiple incidents involving CNAs not following protocols and transferring residents not using a gait belt for a one or two person assist as required by their Care Plan. As a part of the investigation, the surveyors interviewed the facility Director of Nursing who was “asked regarding the use of gait belt during transfers of residents.” The Director responded, “if the transfer is a one-person assist, staff needs to use the gate belt. For a two-person assist, staff also needs to use a gait belt.”
In a separate summary statement of deficiencies dated October 12, 2017, the survey team noted the nursing home “failed to dispose of previously used tuberculin syringe. This [failure] has the potential to affect one resident” reviewed “for environmental hazards.”
The state investigative team observed a medication pass before dinner time on October 10, 2017, with a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). At that time, “one tuberculin syringe was noted on [the resident’s] bedside table upon entering [their] room.” The LPN “picked up the tuberculin syringe, stating it must have been used and left on the table.” The LPN “then checked to make sure the cap on the needle was locked or not [stating] it was not locked.”
The LPN said that “syringes should not be left at the bedside for safety because any resident can walk in and pick it up.” The LPN said, “the tuberculin syringe should have been discarded after use in the Sharps container attached to the medication cart.”
In a third summary statement of deficiencies dated August 30, 2018, the state survey team noted that the nursing home “failed to follow the Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessment and provide a one-person physical assist for bathing.”
The incident involved a resident who “moves between surfaces including to and from a bed, chair, wheelchair, standing position (excludes to/from bath/toilet)” with a two-person assist for all activities and with bathing where one-person physical assist as required.
The survey team reviewed a Post Incident Investigation dated June 26, 2018, that revealed an analysis of data and the cause of the incident. The documentation shows that the resident slipped “onto the floor while holding onto the shower rail and her legs gave out.” A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) “was behind her and helped her down to the floor while protecting her head.”
The investigative team interviewed the Restorative Manager just before noon on August 30, 2018, who said that “the resident stays in bed most of the time, needs extensive assistance and requires one person assist during a transfer and shower. The resident needs a two-person assist during a shower if a shower chair is not used.”
The surveyors interviewed a staff member who said “I do not have a record of my interview with the CNA regarding the resident’s fall on June 25, 2018. The CNA no longer works here. I do not know if a shower chair was used during the accident.”
During an interview with the resident, it was revealed that “the last time I fell in the shower, I was trying to sit on the shower chair by myself but fell down because the side rail is very wet and slippery. There should be one person assisting me for a transfer, but the worker’s new and she just stood there and did not know what to do. I was mad about it.”
The facility staff member said “I think I spoke with the resident after her fall, but I did not document it. Going forward, I should do a more thorough fall investigation and better documentation of what really happened during the fall. It is important to do so because it will affect the intervention. The fall is avoidable if the resident is provided with the one person assist during showering per her MDS (Minimum Data Set) Assessment.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated October 12, 2017, a state investigator noted the nursing home's failure to “maintain proper infection control practices in the areas of hand hygiene and proper disposal of used respiratory suctioning tubes.” The deficient practice by the nursing staff involved four residents at the facility.
The state investigative team observed multiple medication passes on October 10, 2017, and October 11, 2017, that involved infection control issues. The surveyors observed a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) on October 10, 2017, at 4:30 PM while in a resident’s room where the patient was “noted in the bed.”
The documentation shows that “a previously used deep suctioning catheter was noted left on [the resident’s] bedside table. This suctioning catheter was not contained in a plastic bag and had particle residuals on the tube.”
The surveyor called the LPN’s attention to the suctioning tube. The LPN said that “it should not have been left on the bare table [explaining] that it should have been discarded for infection control purposes. At the time of the above observation, [the LPN] performed blood glucose monitoring for [the resident].”
The surveyor said that during the procedure, the LPN “wore gloves. After the procedure was completed, [the LPN] did not remove the soiled gloves or perform hand hygiene. Then while wearing the same gloves, the LPN drew] the privacy curtain and touched the doorknob of the washroom of [the resident’s] room.”
Was your loved one was the victim of abuse, mistreatment or neglect while a resident at Peterson Park Health Care Center? If so, contact the Illinois nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers at Nursing Home Law Center at (800) 926-7565 now. Our network of attorneys fights aggressively on behalf of Cook County victims of mistreatment living in long-term facilities including nursing homes in Chicago. Contact us now to schedule a free case review to discuss how to obtain justice and resolve a financial compensation claim.
Our dedicated lawyers can work on your behalf to file and resolve your claim for compensation against all those that caused your loved one harm, injury, or premature death. We accept every case concerning wrongful death, nursing home abuse, and personal injury through a contingency fee arrangement. This agreement postpones making upfront payments for our legal services until after we have successfully resolved your compensation claim through a negotiated settlement or jury trial award.
Our network of attorneys offers every client a “No Win/No-Fee” Guarantee, meaning if we are unable to resolve your case successfully, you owe us nothing. Let us begin working on your case today to ensure your family is adequately compensated for the damages that caused your harm. All information you share with our law offices will remain confidential.
Attorney Jonathan Rosenfeld
Licensed in Illinois
Chicago Nursing Home Injury Attorney Nursing Home Law Center LLC Home