July 12, 2002

SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Public Health has fined Villas of Shannon $20,000 (Statement of Violation, Statement of Violation) for two violations of the state Nursing Home Care Act. The 73-bed intermediate care facility is located at 418 Southridge in Shannon.

The first violation was the result of a complaint investigation in which Department surveyors learned the facility failed to provide adequate supervision to prevent an accident. A resident, who had limited mobility and often fell, sustained a head laceration and third-degree burns to his chest after falling on a space heater in his room. He laid on the heater for approximately 45 minutes before he was discovered by staff.

Space heaters had been placed in resident rooms because of a heating problem, but were to be removed three days before the incident. The space heater remained in the injured resident’s room because staff said he became agitated when attempts were made to remove it.

The second violation was the result of the facility’s failure to monitor a resident at risk for suicide. After a resident wrote a note threatening to harm herself, staff were told to monitor her whereabouts every 15 minutes, but failed to do so.

Several days later the resident cut her wrist and arm with a razor she found in a bathroom. While waiting for an ambulance, a staff member was to stay with the resident, but admitted she left the resident alone to assist other residents and to get her lunch.

Staff also was instructed to collect residents’ razors and lock up all tools following the incident, but Department surveyors found five razors and a hammer in resident rooms.

The Department-ordered plan of correction required the facility to take all necessary precautions to assure the residents’ environment remains free of hazards, to train staff on appropriate interventions to prevent resident injuries and to review policies regarding resident supervision and monitoring.

Villas of Shannon has requested a hearing on the first violation, but not the second. No hearing date has been set.