In Part 1 of our review of Embassy, we described the facility's general problems and its assignment to the Special Focus Facility list of perpetually underachieving nursing homes. Today, we delve into some specifics that should concern those who have loved ones in this facility. In Part 2 of this review, we will break down the deficiencies and what they mean for residents and their families.
Embassy Health Care Center was cited for Mistreatment Deficiencies in 2008 and 2010 when it failed to keep each resident free from physical restraints, unless necessary for medical treatment. Both bed rails and wheelchair lap belts are considered to be physical restraints. While the exact nature of the violations at Embassy Health Care Center is unknown, families of nursing home residents need to know that unless doctor's orders are in place to use safety devices such as bed rails or wheelchair lap belts, facility staff members are not allowed to implement safety devices. This is for the protection of the residents. Embassy Health Care also was cited for Mistreatment Deficiencies on March 17, 2008 and again on November 19, 2010 when it failed to hire people who have no legal history of abusing, neglecting, or mistreating residents or failed to report or investigate any acts or reports of abuse, neglect, or mistreatment of residents.
Embassy Health Care Center racked up an amazing 22 deficiencies in the area of Quality Care during the last three years. According to detailed inspection results, the facililty consistently failed to provide residents with services that meet a professional standard of quality. It also consistently failed to give each resident the care and services to get or keep the highest quality of life possible for the resident. In fact, one or more residents were actually harmed on June 10, 2010, when the facility failed in this respect. All facility residents were placed in immediate jeopardy on December 16, 2010 when the facility once again did not provide appropriate services. One or more residents were harmed in March 2008 and again in June 2010 when the facility did not provide the appropriate treatment to residents suffering from bed sores to heal the existing bed sore or to prevent new bed sores from forming. Appropriate treatments to be considered for resident suffering from bedsores or that have the potential to develop bedsores are medicated creams that promote healing, air mattresses, and simple turning of the resident's body approximately every two hours. Sometimes, due to a resident's diagnosed ailments, a resident may require special rehabilitation and a physician may order it to be placed in the resident's Care Plan. Due to the multiple deficiencies the facility received in this area, including on March 26, 2010 when a facilty resident was actually harmed, it appears that facility staff may not know the contents of each resident's specific Care Plan or may not know that a Care Plan exists.
Proper diet and nutrition is vital for everyone, but is especially important for nursing home residents who rely upon nursing home staff for all of their dietary needs. On June 10, 2010, one of the residents at Embassy Health Care Center was harmed when their nutritional needs were not met.
Medication errors can be fatal. At the very least, a medical error can can cause severe impairment and illness. Medication errors include providing a resident with the wrong drug, wrong dose, and/or at the wrong time. Therefore, it is very important that nursing home staff make sure that pharmacy error rates remain as low as possible and no higher than 5%. Embassy Health Care Center did not keep the rate of mediation errors, which include wrong drug, wrong dose, and wrong time, to less than 5% in November 2007 and June 2010. On December 16, 2010, state investigators found that an Embassy resident suffered actual harm when facility staff failed either to ensure that residents taking medication were not given too many doses or for too long, failed to make sure that the use of the drugs was carefully monitored, or failed to stop or change medications that caused unwanted side effects.
The nursing home environment should be clean, safe, and homelike. Residents residing at Embassy Health Care Center were actually harmed multiple times in 2008 and 2010 when facility staff did not make sure that the nursing home area was free of dangers that could cause accidents. While we don't know what specifically happened at Embassy Health Care Center, some common dangers that are found in nursing home environments are overly long telephone cords that become trip hazards or puddles of urine or water in hallways or walkpaths which become slip and fall hazard.
If you have a loved one at Embassy Health Care Center and are concerned about the care they are receiving, you should contact an Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyeras soon as possible. The Terry Law Firm is experienced in handling cases of nursing home abuse and neglect. If you suspect that your loved one may be experiencing abuse or neglect at the hands of nursing home employees, please contact us for a FREE no obligation consultation toll-free at 1-888-317-2525 or order David Terry's book, 5 Things You Must Know About Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect in Illinois, click here.
