The Lexington Heath Center in Bloomingdale, IL, is coming under well-deserved fire. The facility faces a $20,000 fine, along with a condemning report from the Illinois Health Department. The 262-page survey paints a truly grim picture of a home in crisis: residents suffering from stage IV bed sores for months at a time; residents sustaining multiple “suspicious” fractures and bruises…The list goes on and on.
What I found most appalling were the sheer number of incidents that occurred over a two-month period in 2010. If one were to construct a timeline of these suspicious incidents, it would look something like:
- January 5, 2010 – A male resident sustains an unwitnessed fall, which results in a large laceration to his head. Two days later, he develops a bruised right arm.
- January 28, 2010 – A female resident falls, and breaks her neck (usually an injury caused by considerable force).
- February 12, 2010 – A male resident is found on the floor, with lacerations to his forehead and nose
- February 16, 2010 – A male resident is seen with four severe pressure sores on his right foot. Nurses’ notes say the pressure sores were first observed on January 5.
Along with these unacceptable incidents, the home has a repeated history of:
- Failing to perform basic daily and weekly checks on residents’ well-being
- Serving residents unsanitary/out-of-date food
- Routinely compromising patients’ privacy during genital care
- Placing numerous residents in dangerous, inappropriately-fitted wheelchairs
Related Nursing Homes Abuse Blog Entries:
Lexington Care Center Named as Defendant in Case Involving Multiple Falls
Nursing Home Spotlight: Lexington of Orland Park