April 20, 1995

SULLIVAN NURSING HOME FINED

SPRINGFIELD, IL -- The Illinois Department of Public Health has fined Titus Memorial Presbyterian Home, a 14-bed sheltered care facility located at 513 N. Worth St. in Sullivan, $5,000 for failure to ensure exit doors were equipped with properly functioning hardware.

During a January 1995 annual licensure survey, Department surveyors found a rear exterior exit door, designated as an emergency exit, would not open.

Surveyors also found that staff had not been trained on how to test the door's latch system and could not determine why the door would not open. When a serviceman was called, he found the panic bar was bent, which kept the latch from disengaging and caused the door to be locked.

The facility has been ordered to ensure exits are in good working order, a weekly preventive maintenance schedule is in place and maintenance staff are trained to inspect and operate the panic hardware on exit doors.

The facility has requested a hearing on the Department's action. No hearing date has been set.

Illinois Department of Public Health 535 West Jefferson Street Springfield, Illinois 62761 Phone 217-782-4977 Fax 217-782-3987 TTY 800-547-0466 Questions or Comments