BOURBONNAIS, IL – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has issued over 200 fines to care homes throughout the state, totaling more than $2.88 million during the fourth quarter of 2022.
The violations were found between October and December of 2022 and are classified in decreasing severity as Type AA, A, B, and C under the Nursing Home Care Act.
According to IDPH, homes that violate the Nursing Home Care Act could be recommended for decertification to the Director of the Department of Healthcare and Family Service. Type A violations include a substantial probability that death, serious mental or physical harm will result or has occurred.
The fines issued during Q4 ranged from $500 to $77,200, with the largest collective fine of $77,200 issued to Bria of Palos Heights.
Bria of Palos Heights received three Type A violations and one Type B for violating multiple sections of the code. The violations were related to alleged patient care, including resident supervision, which resulted in the total fine of $77,200. One of the fines came after an IDPH investigation found negligence on part of care givers at the facility after a 73-year-old woman had an amputation and was never followed up on as an outpatient due to transportation issues. Another incident at Bria involved a resident who lost 34% of her body weight in six months because the resident was unable to feed themselves.
Salem Village Nursing & Rehab in Joliet received a total fine of $75,000 after two alleged incidents resulted in violations of nursing home regulations. One of the cases involved the death of a 60-year-old man admitted in May 2022, who died at the facility in late August 2022. The man tested positive for COVID-19 and was found on the floor of the facility unresponsive. CPR was initiated six minutes after the man was found, despite the patient being listed as “full code” for CPR.
Aperion Care of Bradley received a Type C violation fine of $2,200 for multiple alleged code violations in August 2022 after a woman receiving end-of-life care did not receive morphine medication ordered for every hour during her time at the facility. The facility told IDPH investigators the drug was not available at the time, and later, the nurses could not locate the patient’s medication. A nurse practitioner later called the behavior “unacceptable.”
Other fines of note include Accolade Paxton Senior Living in Paxton, IL, with three Type A violations and one Type B violation and a total fine amount of $77,200; Arcadia Care of Morris in Morris, IL, with one Type A violation and one Type B violation and a total fine amount of $27,200; Our Lady of Angels Ret Home in Joliet, IL, with one Type A violation and a total fine amount of $25,000; and Palos Heights Rehabilitation in Crestwood, IL, with one Type A violation and one Type B violation and a total fine amount of $27,200.
The IDPH will continue to monitor and investigate care homes throughout Illinois to ensure compliance with the Nursing Home Care Act and provide a safe environment for residents.
