SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Public Health has disciplined Vermilion Manor Nursing Home for failure to take the necessary precautions to prevent a resident from leaving the facility unsupervised. The 237-bed skilled and intermediate care facility is located at 14792 Catlin-Tilton Road in Danville.

Responding to an incident report (Statement of Violation), Department investigators learned a resident, who had a history of wandering, left the facility unnoticed. After staff noticed the resident was missing, the building and grounds were searched to no avail and police were notified. About an hour later, police returned the resident to the facility unharmed.

The resident had been fitted with an electronic monitor, but staff could not say whether an alarm sounded when the resident slipped out. The monitor did activate an alarm when the resident was brought back into the facility.

A Department-ordered plan of correction required the facility to provide residents with adequate supervision, to ensure all resident-accessible exterior doors are equipped with functional alarms or are constantly monitored and to ensure staff respond to an alarm that has been activated.

Vermilion Manor was fined $5,000 by the Department but, as the result of a negotiated settlement, the facility agreed to pay a fine of $3,018 to resolve the disciplinary action.