SPRINGFIELD, Ill -- The Illinois Department of Public Health has fined Sunbridge Care and Rehab - Edwardsville $5,000 (Statement of Violation) for failure to prevent a resident from leaving the facility unsupervised. The 120-bed skilled care facility is located at 401 St. Mary's Drive in Edwardsville.

Responding to complaints, Department investigators learned a resident, who had been assessed as being a low risk for wandering, left the facility without staff's knowledge.

When a door alarm sounded, staff checked the alarm panel to see which door had been opened and searched that immediate area for about 10 minutes. The facility did not follow its own policy of thoroughly searching the entire building and grounds and conducting a headcount of all residents. The facility later determined the list of doors on the alarm panel was mislabeled.

About 40 minutes after the alarm had sounded, a nurse noted the resident was missing and the building was searched. The resident's wheelchair was located near an exit door and the resident was found lying on the ground just outside the door in 25-degree weather. She was treated at a local hospital for having a dangerously low body temperature.

A Department-ordered plan of correction required the facility to review its policies on assessment, care planning and elopement; to provide residents with adequate supervision; and to train staff on appropriate interventions to prevent a resident from leaving the facility unsupervised and procedures to follow once a resident has been discovered missing.

Sunbridge Care and Rehab - Edwardsville did not request a hearing.