Illinois Nursing Home Appeals IDPH Fines, Cites Incorrect Information
The Collinsville Rehabilitation & Health Care Center is appealing more than $25,000 in state and federal fines assessed earlier this year. The fines were the result of a December 5, 2009 incident where a male resident reportedly entered a female resident's room and pulled up her skirt. The man only left when the woman screamed.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), the nursing home facility failed to provide a safe living environment for the female resident, who reportedly feared sexual assault from a male resident. Melanie Arnold, an IDPH spokesperson, reported that the nursing home failed to conduct a criminal background check as required by law when the man was admitted. The man was placed at the facility by the Illinois Department of Corrections. Because the facility failed to report the incident to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, they were assessed a $5,300 fine.
Whether the facts in this case were accurately reported or not, there is no doubt that sexual assault of nursing home residents in Illinois is a terrible problem. As an Illinois nursing home abuse attorney, I work daily to address the rights of the elderly in Illinois nursing homes. If you would like to receive a free book I wrote entitled Five Things You Must Know About Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect in Illinois, order your free copy here.
