SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Public Health has fined St. Paul's House & Health Care Center $5,000 (Statement of Violation), for failure to prevent a resident from leaving the facility unsupervised. The 205-bed skilled and sheltered care facility is located at 3800 N. California Ave. in Chicago.

Subsequent to an incident report investigation, Department investigators learned an elderly resident, who had a history of wandering and wore an electronic monitor, left the facility unnoticed and was found by an off-duty employee about six blocks away. The woman was returned to the center unharmed.

Staff members had taken a group of residents, who live in a secured unit on the second floor, to the first floor auditorium to participate in a scheduled activity. When staff returned the residents to the second floor 30 minutes later, the woman was no longer among the group. A search of the facility failed to locate her.

Facility staff told surveyors they believe the resident left through the auditorium exit doors, which were not equipped with an audible alarm. Surveyors determined that none of the 13 exit doors on the first floor had an audible alarm and an employee entrance was the only door equipped with a sensor to detect electronic monitors.

A Department-ordered plan of correction required the home to provide residents with adequate and properly supervised nursing care and to ensure all resident-accessible exterior doors are equipped with functional alarms or are monitored by constant visual supervision.