November 14, 2001

SPRINGFIELD, IL. – Glen Bridge Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre has been fined $10,500 (statement of violation) by the Illinois Department of Public Health for failure to seek timely emergency care for a resident with a head injury. The 302-bed skilled and intermediate care facility is located at 8333 W. Golf Road in Niles.

Responding to complaints, surveyors learned it took nearly 2 ½ hours from the time a resident was found with a head injury until she arrived at the hospital for treatment.

After the resident emerged from a room with blood dripping from the back of her head, an ambulance was called. When informed the ambulance could not arrive quickly, staff suggested it come within 30 minutes. The ambulance, however, did not arrive for about an hour. The resident’s condition worsened, but staff did not arrange for immediate medical assistance.

A facility nurse left a message for the resident’s physician, but the physician did not get the message in a timely manner. The physician indicated 9-1-1 should have been called and he should have been paged.

Interviews with staff revealed the resident complained of a headache, her eyes started to droop and she became increasingly sleepy and lethargic.

When the resident was admitted to the hospital, she was comatose and placed on life support. The family withdrew life support the following day and the resident died. According to the coroner’s report, the resident died of a subdural hematoma due to blunt head trauma.

A Department-ordered plan of correction required the facility to notify a resident’s physician in a timely manner of any accident, injury or significant change in condition; to have written policies and procedures for medical emergencies and to ensure staff follows them; and to record changes in a resident’s condition in the resident’s medical record.

Glen Bridge Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre has requested a hearing on the Department’s action. No hearing date has been set.