SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Illinois Department of Public Health has fined Friendship Manor $10,000 (Statement of Violation) for failure to prevent residents from leaving the facility unsupervised. The 97-bed skilled and sheltered care facility is located at 1209 21 st Ave. in Rock Island.

As part of an incident report investigation, Department surveyors learned a resident left the facility unnoticed and was found lying in a flowerbed near the facility’s parking lot.

The resident was wearing an electronic monitoring device that is supposed to set off an alarm if she attempted to exit the building, but staff did not recall hearing an alarm. The alarm on the door nearest the resident’s room was found to be malfunctioning and it was repaired following the incident.

Another resident, who had a history of wandering and a lack of safety awareness, left the facility without staff knowledge and was located in the parking lot by a staff member. The resident was not wearing an electronic monitoring device, but was fitted with one immediately following the incident.

Friendship Manor did not request a hearing and paid the fine.