October 18, 2000

SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Public Health has disciplined two southwestern Illinois nursing homes for violations of the state Nursing Home Care Act:

• Park Haven Care Center, a 101-bed intermediate care facility located at 107 S. Lincoln in Smithton (St. Clair County), and

• D'Adrian Convalescent Center, a 119-bed skilled and intermediate care facility located at 1373 D'Adrian Professional Park in Godfrey (Madison County).

Park Haven Care Center was fined $10,000 (Statement of Violation) for two incidents of physical and verbal abuse by facility employees.

Responding to a complaint, surveyors learned that two employees were antagonizing and threatening facility residents. In one instance, a resident with a history of unsteadiness and falls was warned by an employee not to use a call light or she would be tied to her chair so she could not use the call light again.

In another incident, surveyors found the employees teased a resident in front of other staff members and residents. When the resident became agitated, she was taken to her room where the two employees yelled at her and pushed her down onto her bed.

In both instances, the Park Haven administration failed to suspend the employees pending an investigation, as required by its policy. The employees were later terminated.

D'Adrian Convalescent Center was fined $10,000 (Statement of Violation) for failure to provide care in a manner to prevent injuries to a resident.

Responding to a complaint, Department surveyors learned an 88-year-old resident, who uses a walker for assistance, fell nine times in three months – the last three falls resulting in a fractured nose, a head injury and a two-inch cut above his left eye. During this time period, the facility failed to follow a physician's recommendation for increased supervision and did not re-evaluate the resident's care plan.

Park Haven Care Center and D'Adrian Convalescent Center have requested hearings on the Department's actions. No hearing dates have been scheduled.