December 31, 1997

SPRINGFIELD, IL — The Illinois Department of Public Health has fined Park Ridge Terrace $10,000 for failing to meet the nursing needs of residents. The 54-bed intermediate care facility is located at 6131 Park Ridge Road, Loves Park.

Responding to a complaint, Department surveyors found the call system used by residents to summon help from facility nurses had not been functioning for 20 days and residents were not checked frequently to ensure their needs were being met.

An 85-year-old resident complained to a Department surveyor she needed medicine because she was having difficulty breathing, chest and stomach pains, but could not alert facility employees. The woman did not know when she was last checked by facility staff. Facility staff said no care plan had been developed to meet her needs, such as monitoring heart and respiratory conditions, because the resident had only been in the facility for two weeks.

Another resident had been trained on using the call system in the event she needed help. Due to the seriousness of the 84-year-old's condition, the facility instructed nurses to respond promptly when the resident called. However, without the nurse call system operational, the resident could not contact facility staff.

Several other residents complained to Department investigators about repeated attempts to reach staff for assistance, but no one responded. Although facility policy required residents to be visually checked every 15 to 30 minutes in the event of the loss of the nurse call system, staff was checking residents just once every hour.

As part of a mandatory plan of correction, the Department ordered the facility to repair or replace the nurse call system, check the call system in all resident rooms at least monthly to ensure it is working and review its policies and procedures for monitoring residents in the event of a malfunctioning nurse call system.

Park Ridge Terrace 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