When a family makes the ultimate decision to relocate a loved one into a nursing home, it is typically based on improving the quality of their life in a safe, compassionate environment. Unfortunately, many nursing homes fail to uphold their responsibility of providing the best care to every resident who ultimately suffers from mistreatment, abuse or neglect.
If your loved one suffered physical, mental, emotional or sexual abuse or was neglected at the hands of their caregivers, it is crucial to speak with an attorney to discuss how to handle your case. The Illinois Nursing Home Law Center attorneys have represented many injured victims in Kankakee County and can help your family too.
If your loved one has been mistreated at River North of Bradley Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, contact our Chicago nursing home abuse lawyers. Let us begin working on your case now to ensure your family receives financial recompense for your damages.
This Medicare/Medicaid-participating nursing center is a "for profit" home providing services to residents of Bradley and Kankakee County, Illinois. The 120-certified bed long-term care (LTC) home is located at:
650 North Kinzie
Bradley, Illinois, 60915
(815) 933-1666
In addition to providing around-the-clock skilled nursing care, River North of Bradley Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center offers other services that include:
Both Illinois and the federal government can impose a monetary fine or deny payments through Medicare when a nursing facility has violated established regulations and rules. The higher the monetary fine, the more serious the violation is that likely harmed or could have harmed one or more residents at the nursing home.
Within the last three years, Medicare denied payment for services rendered by River North of Bradley Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center on March 9, 2018. Also, the facility received twenty-five formally filed complaints due to substandard care. Additional information about penalties and fines can be reviewed on the Illinois Department of Public Health Nursing Home Reporting Website concerning this nursing facility.
Families can visit Medicare.gov and the Illinois Department of Public Health website to obtain a complete list of all incident inquiries, dangerous hazards, opened investigations, health violations, filed complaints, and safety concerns in nursing homes in local communities. The regularly updated information can be used to make a well-informed decision on which long-term care facilities in the community provide the highest level of care.
According to Medicare, the facility maintains an overall rating of one out of five stars, including one out of five stars concerning health inspections, three out of five stars for staffing issues and two out of five stars for quality measures. The Kankakee County neglect attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center have found serious deficiencies and safety concerns at River North of Bradley Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center that include:
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated April 3, 2018, the state survey team noted that the facility “failed to report allegations of abuse within twenty-four hours as required by state regulation.” The incident involved a moderately impaired resident involved in an allegation of abuse.
Documentation shows that two residents at the facility “talked about several of the nursing assistant staff.” One resident “said that some of the staff was mean and rude.” The other resident “talked about an Aide (she could not remember the name) that pushed her while she was sitting in a wheelchair and then let the chair go.”
The first resident “talked about some of the staff that made her cry when she was receiving care [saying], ‘some of the aides were rough when they turned me in bed, and it hurts.’”
The second resident said that a Registered Nurse (RN) working at the facility last Friday “witnessed some of it and wrote down their names.” The investigators reviewed the Registered Nurse’s written statement that revealed a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) “had gone into [the first resident’s] room and argued with the resident regarding expected care and yelled at him.”
A review of the facility Interview Sheet revealed that the allegedly abusive CNA “was instructed to take [the second resident] to the dining room and told [the Registered Nurse] that she would get to [that resident] when she had time. The interview sheet showed that while interacting with [the RN, the first resident] was yelling for assistance down the hall.” The RN went to see what the resident wanted. That resident “complained about [the allegedly abusive CNA] arguing with him and storming out of the room without assisting him.”
A different Facility Incident Form revealed that the Administrator had taken the second resident “to the hallway in her wheelchair to demonstrate how far she was pushed in the wheelchair. The report shows that [the second resident] demonstrated eight to ten feet. The report insisted that [the allegedly abusive CNA] was the Aide that had pushed her.”
The investigative team interviewed the Assistant Director of Nursing who said that “she received a text on her phone regarding [both resident’s allegations of abuse] on Saturday morning.” The Assistant Director said that the resident “was interviewed on Saturday morning regarding the Friday evening [event] and that she was unaware of any other abuse allegations.”
The Administrator stated during an interview that “staff is to report things that make a resident feel scared [saying that] not all allegations are abuse.” The investigators say that the initial report of the abuse allegation on behalf of the first resident in a separate letter for that resident was made to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). However, “there was no report made for abuse allegations [involving the second resident.” The Administrator verified that “there was no report made for [the second resident] to the IDPH and [that resident] did not report being scared.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated April 3, 2018, the state surveyors documented that the facility had failed to “ensure residents were accommodated.” The deficient practice by the nursing staff applied to one resident “reviewed for call lights.”
The state investigative team interviewed a resident in their room. At 10:50 AM, the resident said he saw an Activity Aide return the resident’s roommate to the room, “turned on the call light and left the room.” Thirty minutes later, no one came to assist [the resident].”
One minute later, the resident “was waiting for a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) to change his incontinence brief” while his “boxers were around [his] ankles.” The resident said that “I push them there so I would not get my boxers wet in case I had an accident.” The resident said “I called for a CNA about twenty-five minutes ago. This is a common problem because there are not enough CNAs.”
Five minutes later, the survey team interviewed the CNA in charge of providing the resident care. The CNA said, “I was at lunch, and usually there is a floater [staff member] assigned to the unit so residents would not be left alone.” The CNA stated, “the protocol is to inform your nurse of your absence from the floor in order for them to place a floater.” The CNA said that “I told the direct nurse I was going to lunch, but I am not sure why my unit was not covered.”
The investigators interviewed the Assistant Director of Nursing who said “a floater was supposed to cover the unit. If I were not in training, I would have covered the hall.” The Assistant Director continued that “it is the nurse’s responsibility to ensure coverage of the unit.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated April 3, 2018, a surveyor documented that the facility had failed to “ensure appropriate gait belt usage during transfer and safely position a resident eating in bed. This failure applies [to two residents] reviewed for activities of daily living.”
The survey team reviewed the resident’s Annual MDS (Minimum Data Set) Assessment dated February 24, 2018, that indicates that the patient “requires the extensive assist of two staff for transfers.” The documentation of the facility shows that on the morning of March 21, 2018, the resident “was transferred from her wheelchair to the bed by [two Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs)].”
The CNAs “each transferred the resident using the waistband of his pants and each with an arm under [the resident’s arms causing the resident’s] pants to rise up tightly into [their] groin and buttocks. Neither of [the resident’s] feet were noted to be weight bearing or planted evenly on the floor.” Both the Certified Nursing Assistant “wore gait belt around their bodies. However, neither CNA placed a gait belt around the resident.”
The surveyors interviewed the Restorative Nurse/Assistant Director of Nursing who said that “any time a resident is a ‘stand pivot transfer,’ the staff needs to use a gait belt.” The Assistant Director said that “it is not a safe way to transfer a resident, not using a gait belt [that] could cause injury, [and] the resident could fall.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated April 3, 2018, a state investigator noted the nursing home's failure to “wear personal protective equipment [PPE] and failed to perform hand washing/hygiene when caring for residents identified as requiring isolation precautions.”
Observations were made of a CNA just after noon on March 20, 2018, who brought a meal tray to a resident’s “room and set it on the bedside table next to [the resident,] who was in bed.” The CNA “was not wearing PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), i.e., gloves or gown.)” The CNA set up some of the resident’s “food items and positioned the bedside table near [the resident].”
The Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) then exited the resident’s “room without washing her hands or performing hand hygiene. At that time, the CNA stated that usually when she sees in isolation sign on the resident’s door, she asks the nurse what type of PPE she needs to put on to go into the room.” The CNA said that “she should have asked the nurse and wore a gown in the room and should have washed her hands before she left [the resident’s] room.” The investigative team reviewed the facility’s policy titled: Isolation from 2012 that reads in part:
“Gloves and hand washing: In addition to wearing gloves as outlined under Standard Precautions, wear gloves when entering residents’ room. Remove gloves before leaving the room and perform hand hygiene.”
“Gown: Wear a disposable gown upon entering the contact precautions room.”
Do you suspect that your loved one was abused or mistreated while living at River North of Bradley Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center? If so, call 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 Kankakee County victims of mistreatment living in long-term facilities including nursing homes in Bradley. Contact us now to schedule a free case review to discuss how to obtain justice and resolve a financial compensation claim.
Our seasoned attorneys provide legal representation to LTC home residents who have been harmed by negligence and abuse. Our legal team has years of experience in successfully resolving claims for compensation against caregivers who must be held accountable. Our network of attorneys accepts all nursing home abuse lawsuits, personal injury claims, medical malpractice cases, and wrongful death suits 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. We can provide legal representation starting today to ensure your family is adequately compensated 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