June 16, 2004

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Illinois Department of Public Health has fined Oak Grove Rehab and Skilled Care $5,000 (Statement of Violation) for failure to prevent a resident from leaving the facility unsupervised. The 131-bed skilled care facility is located at 120 N. Tower Road in Carbondale.

As part of an incident report investigation, Department surveyors learned a resident was able to leave the facility unnoticed. He was found unharmed in a residential area after police were called about a man sitting on a neighbor’s deck.

A nursing home aide said she left the resident at the nurse’s station while she put other residents to bed. After spending 15 to 20 minutes with one resident who required more assistance, she returned to the nursing station and the man was gone. She and another employee began a search, but stopped once police called that the resident had been located.

The resident was wearing an electronic monitoring device, but it only activated at the facility’s front doors. Other exit door alarms were tested and staff discovered the alarm to the laundry exit door had been switched off. Staff did not recall hearing an alarm.

A Department-ordered plan of correction required the facility to provide adequate supervision to residents, to ensure that direct care staff are aware of the level of care and supervision required by each resident, and to ensure all resident-accessible exterior doors are equipped with functional alarms or are visually monitored at all times.

Oak Grove Rehab and Skilled Care has requested a hearing on the Department’s action. No hearing date has been scheduled.