January 11, 1995

McLEANSBORO NURSING HOME FINED

SPRINGFIELD, IL -- The Illinois Department of Public Health has fined Meadowbrook Estates, a 16-bed intermediate care facility for the developmentally disabled located at 319 N. Locust St. in McLeansboro, $10,000 for failure to respond appropriately to reports of resident abuse.

As the result of several complaints, Department investigators determined a Meadowbrook Estates staff member allegedly sexually molested a 30-year-old female resident, who is severely retarded and non-verbal, in a supply storage building.

An employee of the facility, who unlocked the storage building and entered it around 8:15 p.m. to pick up supplies, observed the staff member with the woman and reported the incident to a supervisor. The supervisor said she did want to be bothered with the incident and told the witness to report it the next morning.

The staff member suspected of the sexual abuse was removed from direct resident care the next morning after the incident was reported to the facility administrator. The woman was examined about 1 p.m. that day at a local hospital emergency department and hospital staff contacted the sheriff's department. The resident's guardian was not notified until 5 p.m.

Two staff members also claimed they told the facility's administrator two years ago that the staff member in question had a prior conviction for child molestation. No action was taken by the administrator to confirm or deny that the staff member had a criminal record.

In addition, employees reported that the staff member accused of molestation often spent up to two hours in a locked bathroom bathing a 41-year-old resident, who is severely retarded and non-verbal. Following the shower, the staff member reportedly locked or blocked the resident's room door while he dressed the man.

Meadowbrook Estates was ordered to have written policies and procedures in place requiring any facility employee who becomes aware of abuse or neglect of a resident to report the matter immediately to the administrator, who is then to notify the resident's guardian. If an investigation of the matter reveals the report to be credible, the staff member suspected of the abuse is to be removed immediately from direct contact with the residents of the facility.

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