Nursing home could face fines for abuse
OTTAWA -- La Salle County could face federal and state fines of $20,000 or more for code violations at a nursing home where a male patient is accused of molesting 10 women.
The Illinois Department of Public Health recommended Tuesday that the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services fine La Salle County $20,000 plus $100 for each day between June 6 -- when the complaint was filed -- and July 6 -- when a review showed the nursing home was back in compliance, health department spokeswoman Melaney Arnold said.
Arnold said the violations resulted from "systemic problems" at the La Salle County Nursing Home, but she would not specify exactly what the violations or problems were. She did say these problems resulted in the man abusing other patients.
The phone at the nursing home rang unanswered Wednesday evening. A message left for the county board chairman was not immediately returned. The county board oversees the county-owned nursing home.
The state health department issued a report last month describing how the male patient abused dementia patients -- some of whom couldn't speak -- from December until May.
"Due to Administrative staff's failures to implement policies and procedures for abuse, failure to recognize abuse, and failure to effectively manage facility resources, sexual abuse occurred for 10 residents," the report said.
Nurses, employees and patients interviewed by the state health department said the male resident touched female residents' breasts, tried to kiss them and used foul language in talking about sex in nursing home common areas, the 61-page report said.
One nurse's aide said the man would wait for her to leave the room and "target the dementia patients."
"Sometimes he would pull back when I'd return or tell me to get out," the aide said in the report.
The report does not name patients or employees. The patient accused of abuse left the home on June 6.
Arnold said the fines recommended to the federal agency were typical for the types of violations found at the home. The state could still levy its own fines against the county, she said.