SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Public Health has fined Kankakee Nursing and Rehab Center $50,000 (Statement of Violation), following the death of a resident. The 202-bed skilled and intermediate care facility is located at 1050 Jeffrey St. in Kankakee.

Responding to a complaint, Department investigators learned the facility failed to properly assess a resident for neurological changes after the resident fell and hit her head. Facility policy states that a neurologic assessment is to be conducted during the first 40 hours after a head injury. However, staff stopped performing the assessment after four hours. Staff also failed to follow the physician's order to monitor the resident and to send her to the hospital if her condition changed. The resident died the day after the incident of a blood clot near the brain.

The Department-ordered plan of correction required the facility to develop policies to be followed during medical emergencies, to train staff on the importance of recognizing symptoms and reporting these observations to the resident's physician, and to ensure there is one staff person on duty at all times who has been properly trained to handle medical emergencies.

Kankakee Nursing and Rehab Center has requested a hearing on the Department's action. No hearing date has been set.