SPRINGFIELD, ILL. – The Illinois Department of Public Health has taken disciplinary action against two west central Illinois nursing homes:

• Heartland Health Care Center - Galesburg, a 69-bed skilled care facility located at 280 E. Losey St. in Galesburg (Knox County); and
• Sharon Health Care Elms, a 98-bed skilled care facility located at 3611 N. Rochelle in Peoria (Peoria County).

Heartland Health Care Center - Galesburg was fined $5,000 (Statement of Violation) for failure to ensure the safety of its residents. While two staff members were using a mechanical lift to transfer a resident into the bathtub, one of the lift's slings broke and another tore resulting in the resident falling out of the lift. Investigators found that the edges of the slings were frayed. The employee responsible for ensuring the quality of the slings had not actually visually inspected all the slings every week as per facility policy. The resident was not injured.

Sharon Health Care Elms was fined $20,000 (Statement of Violation) for failure to prevent a resident from assaulting other residents. The abusive resident, who had been disruptive on at least 31 separate occasions during a two-month period, attacked three other residents. One resident received an abrasion on his face after the man punched him, another resident was knocked from his wheelchair, and the third resident sustained a concussion, was transferred to the local hospital and later died. Following these incidents, the facility failed to properly evaluate the abusive resident or to take precautions to protect its residents, staff or visitors from future harm.

Both facilities have requested hearings on the Department's actions. No hearing dates have been scheduled.