Relocating an elderly loved one into a nursing facility is often the toughest decision a family can make. Many times, the family will perform extensive research in the hopes of finding the most comfortable and safest environment. Unfortunately, the incident rate involving mistreatment occurring in nursing homes throughout Indiana has risen significantly over the last few years.If your loved one was harmed while living in a Lake County nursing facility, contact the Indiana Nursing Home Law Center attorneys now for immediate legal intervention. Let our team of lawyers work on your family’s behalf to ensure you receive monetary compensation to recover your damages.
This nursing center is a "for profit" Medicare and Medicaid-participating facility providing services and cares to residents of Gary and Lake County, Indiana. The 46-certified bed long-term care nursing home is located at:
700 E. 21st Ave
Gary, Indiana 46407
(219) 882-2563
Simmons Loving Care Health Facility
In addition to providing 24/7 skilled nursing care, Simmons Loving Care Health Facility offers other services. Additional focused care includes respite care, hospice, memory care, and short-term and long-term care.
Indiana and federal agencies have the legal responsibility of monitoring every nursing home and imposing monetary fines are denying reimbursement payments through Medicare if investigators identify serious violations and deficiencies. These penalties are typically imposed when the violation is severe and harmed or could have harmed a resident.
The nursing home also received twenty-three complaints over the last three years that resulted in a violation citation. Additional information concerning the facility can be reviewed on the Indiana Nursing Home Report Cards Website.
The state of Indiana and federal government nursing home regulatory agencies routinely update their care home database system. This list contains historical information of all citations and violations.
According to Medicare, this facility maintains an overall rating of one out of five stars, including one out of five stars concerning health inspections, one out of five stars for staffing issues and one out of five stars for quality measures.
According to state investigators, “the facility failed to follow the Abuse Policy related to reference checks not completed [before] allowing a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) to provide direct patient care.” The surveyors observed a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and CNA “assisting residents to the Main Dining Room.” The LPN indicated that she and the CNA “were the only two nursing staff working at the time.” The CNA “was observed feeding [two residents] at 9:30 AM.”
The surveyors interviewed the CNA who indicated that “she started working at the facility yesterday and her shift started at 7:00 AM this morning.” The CNA’s Employee File indicated two “pre-employment mailed reference checks forms were mailed to previous employers” the day before.”
A review of the current Symptoms Loving Care Abuse Policy Handbook “indicated new employees and volunteers were to be screened [before] working with residents.” The Director of Nursing validated that “reference checks should have been obtained as per the facility policy.”
The nursing home “failed to ensure the resident’s Physician and family members were notified when there is a change in the resident’s condition related to a Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastronomy (PEG) tube displacement and reinsertion.”
The survey team interviewed a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) who indicated that the resident’s PEG tube had become displaced four days earlier “during the night shift and an attempt was made to replace it.” Another LPN stated that on that day “during the morning shift report, [another LPN reported that the resident’s PEG tube] had come out and she had replaced it. The balloon which anchored the tube in place was reported as having only one cubic centimeter of water and was re-inflated with an additional three mL of water.”
However, when she assessed the resident’s PEG tube device “for proper placement later that afternoon, she was unable to verify placement. A phone call was made to the resident’s Physician, and an order was given to send the resident to the emergency room to have the tube replace.” However, “there was no evidence of documentation indicating [the LPN] had notified the Physician or family when the tube first became dislodged.”
Do you suspect that your loved one suffered injury or died prematurely while living at Simmons Loving Care Health Facility? Contact the Indiana nursing home abuse lawyers at Nursing Home Law Center at (800) 926-7565 for immediate legal intervention. We represent Lake County victims of abuse and neglect in all areas including Gary.
Our legal team invites you to discuss your case with us today through an initial, free claim consultation. Also, we provide a 100% “No Win/No-Fee” Guarantee, meaning you will not owe us anything until after we have secured monetary recovery for your family. All information you share with our law offices will remain confidential.
Sources:
Attorney Jeffrey D. Powless
Licensed in Indiana
Chicago Nursing Home Injury Lawyer Nursing Home Law Center LLC Home