April 4, 1997

SPRINGFIELD, IL -- The Illinois Department of Public Health has fined Adloff Place of Springfield $10,000 for failure to meet the medical needs of a 41-year-old resident who died after a prolonged illness. The 16-bed intermediate care facility for the developmentally disabled is located at 50 Adloff Lane.

Responding to a complaint, Department surveyors found the facility had not notified the resident's physician that the woman had diarrhea for two months, was not eating and her condition was deteriorating until she was taken to a hospital emergency department shortly before her death. In addition, the woman's guardian had not been informed of her illness or the weight loss of nearly 14 pounds in just three weeks.

The woman was taken to the hospital on three successive days before being admitted. The first day, after waiting for 20 minutes, a facility member returned her to Adloff Place without seeing a doctor and against the hospital's medical advice. The second day, the facility provided the emergency department doctor with incorrect information about her medication, which resulted in her prescription being rewritten for twice the dosage she was to receive. A possible side effect of the drug prescribed is gastrointestinal bleeding, one of the conditions from which she was suffering the following day when admitted to the hospital. She died three days later due to acute kidney failure.

As part of a mandatory plan of correction, the Department ordered the facility to have written transfer procedures and to make arrangements for medical services not available in the facility. Staff also must be trained in assessing a resident's health status, properly maintaining medical records, procedures for an emergency department visit, and the importance of notifying a resident's physician and family or guardian of a change in the person's condition.

Adloff Place has requested a hearing on the Department's action. No hearing date has been scheduled.

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