Locating the best nursing facility in your local community can be a difficult problem when you need to find the ideal caregivers that provide the highest level of services to your loved one. Unfortunately, abuse and neglect are serious problems that still occur all across the United States in nursing facilities, assisted living homes, and rehabilitation centers.
In some cases, the family remains unaware that caregivers and other residents have mistreated a loved one until dangerous problems arise. The Illinois Nursing Home Law Center attorneys have represented many families whose loved one was injured while residing in a Cook County nursing facility, and we can help your family too.
If your loved one has been mistreated at Windsor Estates Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, contact our Chicago nursing home abuse lawyers. Let us begin handling your case today to ensure your family is adequately compensated for your damages and losses.
This facility is a "for profit" center providing services to residents of Country Club Hills and Cook County, Illinois. The Medicare/Medicaid-participating 200-certified bed long-term care (LTC) home is located at:
18300 South Lavergne
Country Club Hills, Illinois, 60478
(708) 798-2272
In addition to providing around-the-clock skilled nursing care, Windsor Estates Nursing and Rehab Center offers other services that include:
Illinois and federal agencies are duty-bound to monitor every nursing home and levy monetary fines or deny payments through Medicare when investigators identify serious violations of nursing home regulations and rules. In some cases, the nursing home receives multiple penalties if surveyors find severe violations that harmed or could have harmed a resident.
Within the last three years, Windsor Estates Nursing and Rehabilitation Center received forty-one formally filed complaints due to substandard care that have all resulted in citations. Additional information about penalties and can be found on the Illinois Department of Public Health Nursing Home Reporting Website concerning this nursing facility.
Our attorneys review data on every long-term and intermediate care facility in Illinois. Families can obtain the same publically-available information by visiting numerous state and federal government databases including the IL Department of Public Health website and Medicare.gov. This data is a valuable tool to use when choosing the best location to place a loved one who needs the highest level of services and care in a safe, caring environment.
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. The Cook County neglect attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center have found serious deficiencies and safety concerns at Windsor Estates Nursing and Rehabilitation Center that include:
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated October 26, 2017, the state investigator documented the facility’s failure to “give notice of a change in condition to the family/guardian” for one of three residents “reviewed for changes in condition.”
A review of the facility’s records indicated that a resident “was being sent to the hospital for an evaluation after a verbal confrontation with another resident.” The known also says that the resident “was transported per the ambulance to the nearby Community Hospital at 9:00 AM.”
A review of the Progress Note “does not demonstrate [that the resident’s] family was notified [before the transfer] to the hospital.” A subsequent Progress Note indicates that the resident was returned “to the facility at 2:30 AM and a message being left on the family member’s voicemail per this note.”
The investigators reviewed the facility’s policy titled: Change in a Resident’s Condition or Status revised in 2008 that reads in part: “without indication of immediate notification of family or guardian, regarding changes in the resident status for care.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated October 26, 2017, the state survey team noted that the nursing “facility failed to remove restraints during mealtime and activities for three of three residents reviewed for physical restraints.”
A review of the facility’s “Supported Device Resident List includes [three residents] with restricted devices.”
One resident was observed on the morning of October 24, 2017 while “involved in activities in a left cushion was still in place.” At that time, the Activity Aide “was present.”
Another resident was observed a few minutes later “in the activity room with a lap safety belt on during the activity.” A third resident was observed one minute later “with a lap cushion on during activity.” The Activity Aide said that the resident “has a lap cushion on it all times.” The resident’s “lap cushion was not removed by [the Activity Aide] at that time.”
An additional observation on that date at 12:44 PM shows that the third’s resident’s “lap cushion was in place.” The resident “was being assisted during the lunch by [a Certified Nursing Assistant] who “did not remove [the resident’s] lap cushion during lunch service.”
The survey team interviewed the Director Operations who stated that “staff are expected to release restraints during activities or dining.” This deficiency prompted the state’s investigative team to review the facility’s policy titled: Physical Restraint that reads in part:
“Residents who are restrained will be temporarily released from this restraint at least every two hours or more often as necessary such as for activities of daily living care, activities, and meals.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated October 26, 2017, a state surveyor documented that the facility had failed to “report an allegation of abuse to the State Agency according to their policy for two supplemental residents reviewed for abuse.” The survey team reviewed the facility abuse files on October 24, 2017.
In one incident, a resident “made an allegation that [the housekeeper] touched her and the resident thinks it was inappropriate.” The resident claimed that “there was more touching involved and that [the housekeeper] was whispering to [the resident] in Spanish, but [the resident] does not understand Spanish.”
The resident’s “abuse allegation file does not include documentation indicating the initial report was sent to the State Agency.” The resident’s “abuse allegation was not reported to the State Agency until October 16, 2017, with the final report.”
The investigators reviewed a different resident’s “abuse allegation file incident dated September 12, 2017. This report documents “a brief description of the incident [involved a resident who] alleged that staff was inappropriate while providing resident care.” This resident’s “abuse allegation file (incident date September 12, 2017) does not include documentation indicating that the State Agency was not notified until September 20, 2017.”
The investigators interviewed the facility Director of Nursing who said that “we should report the abuse allegations (initial report) between two and twenty-four hours.” The Director reviewed the resident’s abuse allegation files “and stated that the initial reports are not in there.” The facility provided no further documentation. The investigators reviewed the Abuse Prevention Program documentation that reads in part:
“Initial reporting of allegations: When an allegation of abuse, exploitation, neglect, mistreatment or misappropriation of resident property has occurred, the resident’s representative and the Department of Public Health’s Regional Office shall be informed immediately by telephone or fax.
Public Health shall be informed that an occurrence of potential abuse, neglect, exploitation, mistreatment or misappropriation of resident property has been reported and is being investigated.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated October 26, 2017, the state investigators documented that the facility had failed to “ensure the residents are free from hazards by preventing the accessibility to sharp objects.” The nursing home also “failed to secure a nurse’s medication card and failed to secure the dialysis supply room.”
The investigators stated that these failures “had the potential to affect the residents on the second floor and residents with access to the dialysis center area.” The investigators observed “two disposable razors located [in the resident’s] room. The razors were left unsecured, and no staff was present at the time.”
In a different incident, “a nurse’s medication cart on the second floor was unlocked and accessible to residents.” A Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) “was observed getting off of the elevator and stated to the surveyor that the medication cart was assigned to her.” The LPN said, “the medication cart should be locked when I am not standing there.”
The investigators interviewed the Maintenance Director during an environmental tour who witnessed “the storage room and dialysis supplies were propped open with a box when staff is not present, or an individual controlled the room. The storage room contained medical supplies and equipment and dialysis machines.”
During the tour, the Dialysis Nurse said that “the storage should be locked on the staff is not present.” During an interview with the Director Operations, it was revealed that “nurses are expected to lock the medication carts when not in use.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated October 26, 2017, a state investigator noted the nursing home's failure to “follow sanitary infection control practices for one of three residents.”
The investigator’s findings included observation of a resident’s “urine drainage bag laying uncontained directly on the floor near [their] bed. After prompting [the resident’s] nurse, [the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)] returned to the bedside and hung the urine drainage bag on the bed rail.” The LPN said that the resident’s “wife was turning him and put it (the drainage bag) on the floor.”
Later that afternoon, the resident’s “urine drainage bag was observed laying on the floor with a privacy bag and use. A female was at the bedside talking on a cell phone and stated, ‘I am the caretaker for [the resident].’”
A few minutes later, the Occupational Therapist was leaving that resident’s room with a “bed linen in her arms uncontained [while] going to the dirty linens room.” The therapist “was walking down the hall with a set a folded linen and was asked if the linen removed from [the resident’s] room should have been in a bag.”
The therapist said “I just changed [the resident’s] bed and the linen was not wet. The question was asked if the linen was considered to be cleaner dirty.” The therapist replied “it was dirty. I guess it should have been in the bag.”
The surveyors stated that the therapist “did not perform hand hygiene after leaving [the resident’s] room and [before] getting clean linen.” The therapist “was asked if the linen now in [their] hands was okay to apply to someone else’s bed.” The therapist replied, “No, I will toss this linen and start over after eyewash my hands.”
In a separate incident, an Activity Aide was observed that afternoon “inside the room of [another resident] without Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) being used.” The resident “is currently on isolation, and the isolation cart is sitting at the door. There were two female visitors also sitting near [that resident’s] bed without PPE on.”
The LPN “who was at the nurse’s station said that the resident ‘is on isolation for Clostridium difficile [a highly contagious bacterial infection typically found in nursing homes] and anyone going inside needs to wear the isolation gown.’ The surveyor made [the LPN] aware of two female visitors sitting inside [the highly contagious resident’s] room without PPE, and at this time [the LPN said], ‘I guess I need to go educate them on using the PPE.’”
Was your loved one the victim of mistreatment, abuse or neglect while living at Windsor Estates Nursing and Rehabilitation Center? If so, contact the Illinois nursing home abuse attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center at (800) 926-7565 today. Our network of attorneys fights aggressively on behalf of Cook County victims of mistreatment living in long-term facilities including nursing homes in Country Club Hills. Contact us now to schedule a free case review to discuss how to obtain justice and resolve a financial compensation claim.
Our attorneys represent clients who have been harmed through nursing home abuse by nursing staff and caregivers. We accept all nursing home cases involving personal injury, abuse, and wrongful death through a contingency fee agreement. This arrangement postpones your need to make a payment for our legal services until after your case is successfully resolved 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 obtain recompense in your case, you owe us nothing. Let our team begin working on your case today to ensure you receive adequate compensation. 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