SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Public Health has fined Elmwood Nursing & Rehabilitation Center $5,000 (Statement of Violation), for failure to prevent a resident from leaving the facility unsupervised. The 104-bed skilled and intermediate care facility is located at 152 Wilma Drive in Maryville.

As part of an incident investigation, Department surveyors learned a resident left the center unnoticed. After realizing the resident was missing, a search was started and the resident was found sitting in a nearby school parking lot. The resident complained of pain in his knees, which were scratched, but he was otherwise unharmed.

The resident was wearing an electronic monitor, but staff did not hear the alarm sound when he slipped out of the facility. An employee noticed an exit door slightly ajar and could hear a faint buzzing sound, which turned out to be a malfunctioning alarm. Staff speculated that a storm the night prior to the incident might have affected the door alarm's performance.

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 maintain all door alarm systems.

Elmwood Nursing & Rehabilitation Center has requested a hearing on the Department's action. No hearing date has been set.