SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Public Health has fined Hillcrest Home $10,000 (Statement of Violation) for failure to prevent a resident from leaving the facility unsupervised. The 180-bed skilled and intermediate care facility is located at 14688 Illinois Highway 82 in Geneseo.

As part of an incident investigation, Department surveyors learned a resident, who had a history of attempting to leave the facility, sustained a bruised hip in a fall after wandering from the facility unnoticed. The resident was transferred to a hospital for evaluation after an employee found her lying on the ground outside the facility.

Although the resident's care plan stated she was to be checked every 30 minutes because of her tendency to wander, staff could not recall the last time the resident was seen prior to the incident.

The resident was outfitted with an electronic monitor, but none of the staff on duty at the time of incident remember hearing an alarm when the resident exited the facility. A review of computer records showed the door was forced open and the alarm sounded for 14 seconds.

A Department-ordered plan of correction required the facility to provide residents with adequate and proper supervised nursing care, and to train staff on how to respond when a door alarm sounds and how to conduct a search for a missing resident.

Hillcrest Home has requested a hearing on the Department's action. No hearing date has been set.