The Illinois Health Department filed a 90-page survey in September of 2010 describing the conditions at Plaza Nursing & Rehab Center in Midlothian, IL. According to the survey, the facility was chaotic and lacking in regards to residents’ quality of life and safety. The survey revealed that during the year at least 9 residents had suffered falls with injuries, many of them due to unsafe shower and toilet areas. (article produced on behalf of Buffalo injury attorneys at Brown Chiari, LLP)
Other areas were also found to be lacking according to the survey. In the report Plaza staff were found to be guilty of:
Administering injections to patients without first closing privacy curtains
Taking money from residents as payment for “favors”
Maintaining “scalding” hot water temperatures in bathrooms
Failing to wipe up pooling water next to bathtubs, increasing fall risks
Closing resident smoking area with no notification, and without providing an alternative area
Serving food to patients in an unsanitary environment where flies were present
Throughout the survey reports of suspicious scratches and bruising were common, as well as complaints made by residents that nurses were “rough” in their handling of the patients. One incident was described in which a man tipped out of his wheelchair while on facility property.
Many of the problems were attributed to the fact that the 91-bed facility did not have sufficient staff to handle all of the residents and treat those who required specialized care. The survey hinted strongly toward abuse, and noted that an administrator found an anonymous note on the floor which stated that residents at the facility were being abused by one of the nurses.
It was also found in the report that unstable residents who posed direct threats to other residents were admitted to the facility, and that one resident with a history of bipolar disorder pushed another because he could not get the other resident to move out of his way. Plaza was fined $10,000 as a result of the findings in the Health Department survey.
While it wasn’t noted in the survey, unexplained bruising and scratches could indicate abuse by staff members, or by other aggressive residents suffering from mental disorders such as dementia or Alzheimer’s. The incident in which the resident fell out of his wheelchair was not addressed by the facility, so it isn’t known whether the chair was in disrepair, was not maintained properly or whether staff members failed to monitor the resident.
There are countless forms of abuse and neglect that take place in our nursing homes today, some of them due to the fact that these facilities are often understaffed, or staffed with individuals through temporary staffing agencies that often do not perform thorough background checks. Regardless, abuse of residents in these facilities is unacceptable.
Brown Chiari is a team of New York elder abuse law firm dedicated to protecting the rights of nursing home residents and their families. Contact us today for a free evaluation of your claim.
