Any mistreatment of nursing home residents typically involves neglect or abuse at the hands of caregivers, family members, employees, visitors, friends or another patient. Every nursing facility is legally bound to provide the ultimate protection for every patient in a compassionate, safe environment around-the-clock. Any form of mistreatment could be the result of a lack of the most basic standards for the resident’s comfort, health, care, and safety.
If your loved one suffered mistreatment while living in a Cook County nursing facility, contact the Illinois Nursing Home Law Center attorneys for immediate legal intervention. Our Chicago nursing home attorneys has successfully resolved cases just like yours. We use the law to seek justice and obtain financial compensation on behalf of our clients. Contact us now so we can begin working on your case today.
This long-term care (LTC) facility is a "for profit" 198-certified bed long term care center providing cares and services to residents of Hillside and Cook County, Illinois. The Medicare/Medicaid-participating home is located at:
4600 North Frontage Road
Hillside, Illinois, 60162 (708) 544-9933
In addition to providing around-the-clock skilled nursing care, Symphony of Aria offers other services that include:
The investigators and surveyors for Medicare and the state of Illinois have the legal authority to impose monetary fines or deny payment for Medicare services any time a nursing home is cited for serious violations of regulations and rules.
Over the last three years, nursing home regulatory investigators imposed a $10,238 fine against Symphony at Aria on January 4, 2016, citing substandard care. Also, the facility received thirty-six formally filed complaints that all ended 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.
The state of Illinois and federal government regularly updates their long-term care home database system. This system details a comprehensive list of publically-available filed complaints, opened investigations, safety concerns, incident inquiries, health violations, and dangerous hazards. The search results can be reviewed on numerous online sites including Medicare.gov and the IL Department of Public Health website.
According to Medicare, the 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 Symphony at Aria that include:
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated March 24, 2017, the state investigators noted that the facility had failed to “follow its restraint policy in making observations and evaluating if alternative interventions may be available and appropriate [before] the use of physical restraints. These failures affect one of three residents reviewed for physical restraints.”
The survey team observed the resident “lying in bed [with bilateral] mittens on hands rested on top of a blanket” at 9:12 AM on March 23, 2017. At that time, the resident “appeared calm, non-combative, non-verbal, alert and oriented to self only.”
During the observation, a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) stated that the resident “has a urinary catheter and his family requested the hand mittens to prevent [the resident] from pulling out his catheter.” The resident’s Initial Screening for the use of physical restraint dated February 22, 2017, shows the “reason for the use of physical restraint: At times, pulling out his catheter. Alternatives attempted: none was marked. Describe the reasons for the ineffectiveness of the alternatives: [left blank]. The decision to restrain, state who decided to apply the restraint and the reason for: Family member.”
The facility Nurses Progress Note dated February 27, 2017, shows “obtained phone consent from family for bilateral hand mittens.”
During an interview with the Director of Nursing, it was noted that before “placing the resident in restraint, there should be an assessment. We should do trials for an alternative method when assessing the appropriateness of using the restraint.”
The Director also said the following day that the resident “was admitted from the hospital with hand mittens. The policy is the nurse should still assess the resident for the appropriateness of the use of restraints by observing his behavior by providing alternative methods [before] placing restraints [even though the family] requested the restraints.”
The Director said that “I cannot find any notes about [the resident’s] behavior of pulling his catheter or about trials on alternative measures.” The facility Administrator said that a family request “could potentially affect the decision of the restraint use, but observation should be made as part of the restraint assessment.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated May 3, 2018, a state investigative team noted the nursing home's failure to “follow its policy to wash or utilize hand sanitation during medication pass for two residents.”
The state investigators observed a Registered Nurse (RN) preparing medication for a resident during a medication pass observation at 9:00 AM on May 1, 2018.” The RN “poured a high-calorie supplement into a cup, by picking the cup of via the top rim.” The RN “then grabbed the blood pressure monitor and took everything [into the resident’s] room.”
The RN then checked the resident’s “blood pressure, and administered the medications and never wash his hands, or use hand sanitizers before starting or during the medication pass.” The RN “then went back to the medication cart, picked up a medicine cup by the top rim, and gather medications for [that resident].”
The investigative team said that the RN “never used hand sanitizer or washed his hands during the administration of medications to [multiple residents before] or between residents. Nor did [the RN] wash his hands after handling the blood pressure monitor.” During an interview with the RN, the nurse “had no comment when informed that he did not utilize any hand sanitation.”
The investigators interviewed the Assistant Director of Nursing who said that “nurses should utilize hand sanitation before passing medications and should wash hands between patients and after checking blood pressures.” The facility’s Policy on Medication Administration verified the Assistant Director's confirmation. The policy reads “cleanse hands before and after administration of medication. This facility failed to follow its policy on hand sanitation during medication administration.”
In a separate summary statement of deficiency dated March 24, 2017, the state investigative team noted that the nursing facility had “failed to follow the reverse isolation precautions for eleven residents in the supplemental sample.” A Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) identified the resident “as a reverse isolation resident.”
A Dietary Aide was noted walking into the resident’s “room to drop off the lunch tray.” The Dietary Aide “was not wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).” The Director of Nursing said that “staff should wear PPE when going into an isolation room” to prevent acquiring or spreading infection.
In a third separate summary statement of deficiencies dated August 30, 2018, the state investigators noted that the facility “follow their infection control and linen handling policy for one resident reviewed for infection control.” The investigators reviewed the facility’s policy titled: Infection Prevention and Control Program that reads in part:
“The facility is responsible for protecting and promoting quality of life and health for all of their patients and residents by developing and implementing Infection Prevention and Control Programs and systems that provide information and education, affected regulation and oversight, quality services, and surveillance of diseases and conditions.”
“The facility linen handling policy denotes the facility promotes control of infections through the use of standard protocols while handling linen.” The procedure involves handling “All soiled linen as potentially contaminated using Standard Precautions. Carry clean linens away from the uniform to prevent contamination. Clean linen is stored in a covered or closed area.”
The state survey team observed a resident’s “closet in his room [with] clean clothes hanging on the hangers and several dirty/soiled clothes laying on the shelf underneath clean clothes hanging inside the closet.” At that time, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) said that “all dirty linen and the resident’s dirty/soiled clothes are to be placed in plastic bags and sent down the laundry chute to be washed.” The CNA said that the resident’s “dirty clothes on the shelf in his closet were wet, smelled of urine, and should not have been left in his closet with his clean clothes.”
The surveyors reviewed the resident’s Grievance Form dated August 21, 2018, that shows “soiled clothing in the closet; family notified of the resolution.”
The facility Administrator said that a family member “expressed concern today about [the resident’s] soiled clothes being left in his closet.” The Administrator said that “soiled clothing should not be left in the resident’s room/closets [and that] staff will be in-serviced about the facilities practice regarding linen.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated August 30, 2018, the state surveyor noted that the nursing home “failed to maintain an effective pest control program by the presence of gnats in the kitchen area.” This failure “has the potential to affect all 183 residents in the facility.”
The state survey team observed “six gnats flying around the garbage cans in the kitchen area near the dry storage room” on the afternoon of August 24, 2018. Earlier that day, observations were made of “gnats in the dry storage room in the kitchen.” A member of the nursing home said that “the gnats’ presence [is] due to a delivery of bread and that the staff should be cleaning the floor and walls shortly.”
However, the surveyors noted a “green door to the kitchen was observed with a large hole to the right side. The area was large enough for the surveyor's pen to go through and move freely.” A member of the nursing home was made “aware in said it would be fixed.”
In a summary statement of deficiency dated August 30, 2018, the nursing home “failed to follow the Central Vascular Access Device Dressing Change / Midline Catheter Dressing Change policy by not changing the dressing weekly.” The nursing home also “failed to document an assessment of the vascular site.”
The surveyor observed a resident’s “central line dressing dated August 15, 2018” just after noon on August 28, 2018. According to the facility’s policy, “the dressing would be due to be changed on August 22, 2018 (6 days overdue).” The Assistant Director nursing stated that the resident “has his initial dressing on the central line. The facility should be changing the dressing weekly and as needed.”
The investigative team reviewed the resident’s Treatment Administration Record for August 2018 that documents “noted dressing changes administered on August 22, 2018.”
Do you suspect your loved one is a victim of mistreatment, abuse or neglect while living at Symphony at Aria? If so, take quick action now by calling 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 Hillside. Contact us now to schedule a free case review to discuss how to obtain justice and resolve a financial compensation claim.
Our nursing home abuse attorneys can represent your loved one injured by the inappropriate actions of the facility and staff. Our network of attorneys will work on your behalf to ensure your family receives sufficient financial compensation to recover your damages. We accept all cases of wrongful death, nursing home abuse, and personal injury through a contingency fee arrangement. This agreement postpones your need to make a payment for our legal services until after your case is decided through a negotiated out of court 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 our attorneys begin working on your behalf today to ensure your family receives adequate compensation from those who 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