June 24, 2004

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Illinois Department of Public Health has fined Prairie City Health Care Center $5,000 (Statement of Violation - PDF) for failure to prevent a resident from leaving the facility unsupervised. The 48-bed skilled care facility is located at 825 E. Main St. in Prairie City.

As part of an incident report investigation, Department surveyors learned a resident, who had a history of wandering and was fitted with an electronic monitoring device, left the facility unnoticed.

A motorist traveling on a two-lane highway about one half mile from the facility had to swerve to avoid hitting the resident, who was walking in the middle of the road. The resident was wearing a sweatshirt, pants and shoes in 10-degree weather. The driver convinced the resident to get in his car and he called 911. The local sheriff's department contacted the facility and was told no residents were missing.

A door alarm had sounded earlier that evening, but staff assumed a resident observed with his hand on the door bar inadvertently set off the alarm. When an employee turned off the alarm, she did notice the electronic monitoring alarm system also had been triggered. Although the resident near the door was not wearing an electronic monitoring device, staff did not check outside or conduct a headcount of residents to make sure all were present.

A Department-ordered plan of correction required the facility to provide adequate supervision; to review its policies on assessment, care planning and elopement; and to train staff on appropriate actions and interventions to prevent a resident from leaving the facility unsupervised.

Prairie City Health Care Center did not request a hearing and paid the fine.