SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Public Health has fined four southern Illinois facilities for violating the state Nursing Home Care Act:

• Red Bud Nursing Home, a 115-bed skilled care facility located at 350 W. South First St. in Redbud (Randolph County);
• Rehab and Care Center – Jackson County, a 202-bed skilled care facility located at 1441 N. 14th St. in Murphysboro (Jackson County);
• The Fountains, a 125-bed skilled care facility located at 1301 E. Deyoung in Marion (Williamson County); and
• Willow Creek Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, a 122-bed skilled and intermediate care facility located at 40 N. 64th St. in Belleville (St. Clair County).

Red Bud Nursing Home was fined $5,000 Statement of Violation for failure to prevent a resident, who had a history of wandering, from leaving the facility unnoticed. A neighbor called the facility and told them she saw the resident walk past her house. By the time an employee found the resident, she was two blocks from the facility and had traveled across a state highway. The resident had walked out of the facility two weeks prior to the latest incident. Despite her history of wandering, the facility did not write a plan of care for this resident until a week after the first incident.

Rehab and Care Center was fined $10,000 Statement of Violation following the death of a resident, who had gotten her head wedged between the half side rails and mattress of her bed. This was the second time the woman, who was totally dependent on staff for mobility and transfers, had gotten stuck between the side rails and mattress. The use of the side rails were not reassessed after the first incident nor were any interventions initiated to keep this type of incident from reoccurring.

The Fountains was fined $5,000 Statement of Violation for failure to prevent an Alzheimer's resident from leaving the facility unnoticed. Facility staff became of the resident's whereabouts when a visitor reported seeing the woman walking down the street. The woman was returned to the facility unharmed. At the time of the resident's elopement, the outside temperature was 19 degrees.

Willow Creek Rehabilitation was fined $5,000 Statement of Violation for failure to monitor hot water temperatures. Water temperatures in several resident sinks and a bathtub exceeded 130 degrees. Surveyors learned that there had been no monitoring system in place since the facility's maintenance director left in December 2002. No resident injuries were reported from hot water during this time.

Red Bud Nursing Home, Rehab and Care Center and The Fountains requested hearings on the Department's actions. No hearing dates have been scheduled. Willow Creek Rehabilitation did not request a hearing on the Department's actions.