Posted On:
October 20, 2010
Children Dying While on Alden Village North's Watch
Twelve year old Derrick Black was a disabled resident of Alden Village North who suffered from mental disabilities and was unable to walk or talk. Derrick used a tracheotomy tube to breathe and was able to communicate on a limited basis through both sign and body language. Last year, Derrick was left unattended at Alden Village North, a decision that proved fatal.
Around 6:00 a.m. the day of his death, Derrick was being tube-fed when an aide came to his room to bathe him. Derrick's bed was lowered into a flat position despite medical orders requiring him to remain upright while being fed. The aide disconnected and reconnected Derrick's feeding tube and then lifted Derrick into his wheelchair violating Derrick's care plan. The care plan indicated that he should be moved with two people to avoid accidents. Additionally, Derrick's feeding tube should have been disconnected and reconnected by a nurse - not a nurse aide.
While he was sitting in his wheelchair, Derrick began coughing up fluids from his mouth and breathing tube. The aide notified Derrick's night nurse, who reportedly suctioned the fluids. The nurse then left early, around 7:15 a.m.
Derrick was left unattended from 7:15 a.m. to 7:29 a.m. At 7:30 a.m., another nurse found Derrick unconscious, not breathing, his eyes fixed, and a large amount of fluids on the front of his shirt. Nurses and paramedics tried to resuscitate him, but failed. Derrick was pronounced dead twelve minutes after a nurse found him unresponsive. His cause of death was listed as "pulmonary, respiratory arrest".
Alden Village North was cited for neglect for Derrick's death and fined $25,000, which is being appealed. Derrick's mother has filed a wrongful death case against the facility.
In 2008, five children and young adult residents of Alden Village North died within three months of each other. The facility failed to investigate any of the deaths thoroughly. In 2004, two developmentally disabled four year old residents of Alden Village North died three weeks apart after having difficulty breathing and no one heard their monitor alarms. Although the facility was fined $50,000 for their deaths, the fine was never paid. The facility was taken over by new owners. If there is an outstanding fine with the facility, usually the new owner cannot have a license until the fine is paid. In this instance, a clerical error was made and Alden Village North assumed the facillity and did not pay any fines. A subsequent investigation at the facility found that reportedly no one at the facility knew the proper settings for breathing devices.
In all, thirteen children or young adults have died at Alden Village North since 2000 in situations where the facility was cited for neglect or for failure to investigate adequately in order to rule out neglect. Although the Illinois Department of Public Health has fined the facility $190,000 in the last ten years, the facility has yet to pay any of its penalties in full. Rather, the facility ignores the fine, appeals others, or negotiates a reduced fine. In fact, since 2000, the facility has paid a mere $21,450 in fines.
Alden Village North is a for-profit nursing home facility that cares for residents with severe disabilities. Many Alden Village North residents are unable to walk, talk, or call for help. Many require wheelchairs for mobility. More than 50% of Alden's residents have epilepsy or cerebral palsy. Operated by Alden Management Services under President Floyd A. Schlossberg since 2008, seven of the 13 deaths have occurred since Alden Management Services assumed control.
Sadly, if a child dies at Alden Village North, the death does not automatically prompt an investigation. In fact, the State of Illinois will only investigate a child death if the facility reports it, someone reports it to the State, or an investigator discovers an unexplained death during a routine inspection.
Former staff members of Alden Village North told the Chicago Tribune that workers were often understaffed. "They had to run from one client to another...It was just run, run, run," said Roy Filson, a former employee. According to another employee, "the only way to get through the day was to take some shortcuts". These "shortcuts" included putting children to bed early.
In short, the State of Illinois needs to examine the rules and regulations surrounding care facilities. In this instance, the state cannot even begin to determine the immensity of the problems at Alden Village North. Someone needs to help these helpless residents before its too late.
