Two area nursing homes were among several fined by the Illinois Department of Public Health after quarterly reports were released yesterday.
Aperion Care in Jacksonville was fined $25,000 after several falls by a resident resulted in a laceration to the head requiring 5 sutures and a subsequent fall which resulted in a left hip fracture requiring surgery last July. The 113-bed facility did not implement proper protocol to prevent further falls with the patient who was diagnosed with dementia. You can read the citation report here.
Pittsfield Manor in Pittsfield was fined similarly but due to a more tragic circumstance. An Alzheimer’s patient over the age of 80 fell multiple times between March and June of last year, resulting in the patient’s death after a fall at an outside-facility visit to the dentist on June 24th. The patient later died on July 9th due to blunt force trauma to the head from the fall. In an interview with the driver for the incident, they stated that they had to leave the patient unattended and did not transport the patient inside the dentist’s office by wheelchair. The patient’s fall at the dentist wasn’t properly documented and was discovered by the nursing administrator on July 19th. The citation report from IDPH can be found here.
Both facilities were cited with type “A” violations of the Nursing Home Care Act and processed between October and December. An “A” violation pertains to a condition in which there is a substantial probability that death or serious mental or physical harm will result or has resulted, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Other facilities in the area receiving citations were The Bridge Care Suites, Heritage Health, Lewis Memorial Christian Village, St. Joseph’s Home – all of Springfield and Willow Rose Rehab & Health of Jerseyville. The full reports can be found at IDPH’s 4th Quarter Report here.