SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Public Health has fined Maplewood Health Care Center $5,000 (Statement of Violation) for failure to prevent a resident from leaving the facility unsupervised. The 129-bed intermediate care facility is located at 310 Banbury Road in North Aurora.

As part of an annual survey, Department investigators learned a resident, who had a history of wandering and attempting to leave the facility, left the center unnoticed. A member of the community noticed the resident walking along a street about two miles from the facility and notified police. At the time, the outside temperature was reported to be 105 degrees. The resident was taken to a local hospital and treated for heat exposure.

During the two months prior to this incident, the resident had been found outside on five occasions and had made three additional attempts to leave the facility. Surveyors determined the resident's care plan had not been updated to address his behavior of opening doors and trying to go outside.

A Department-ordered plan of correction required the facility to review its policies and procedures regarding residents identified at risk for elopement by conducting a comprehensive assessment of resident behaviors, by developing and implementing interventions to prevent residents from wandering, and by monitoring exit doors with a mechanical alarm or constant visual supervision.

Maplewood Health Care Center has requested a hearing on the Department's action. No hearing date has been scheduled.