Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Allegations: Collinsville Assisted Living Facility Appeals $25,300 Fine Over Sex Assault
The Collinsville Rehabilitation & Health Care Center is appealing the $25,300 it has been ordered to pay over the alleged Illinois nursing home sexual assault of a female patient by a male resident last December. While the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services found that the assisted living facility failed to conduct a criminal background check and did not ensure that the victim, who was afraid of the male patient, lived in a safe environment, the nursing home’s administrator says that a check of the National Sex Offender Registry was conducted, and that this met the state's requirements. The alleged assailant’s name was not listed on it.
The male resident is accused of going into the woman’s room and pulling up her skirt. No charges were filed against him.
While the IDPH imposed the $20,000 fine against the Collinsville facility for allegedly allowing the Illinois nursing home abuse to happen, the CMS fined the nursing home $5,300 for failing to report the alleged sex crime.
It is important that Illinois assisted living facilities conduct criminal background checks so that dangerous felons are not housed along with the general population. Just today, Rockford police arrested two patients from Alden Park Strathmoor Nursing Home on outstanding criminal warrants. Two other residents also had warrants in their names, but they were not apprehended because of their medical condition. They will, however, continue to be monitored.
The arrests are part of Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s efforts through the initiative Operation Guardian to make sure that Illinois assisted living facilities are in compliance with the laws and regulations. To date, her office has conducted 16 compliance checks and found 84 patients with outstanding criminal warrants.
Rockford nursing home residents arrested in sting, RRStar, August 9, 2010
State fines Collinsville nursing home, Suburban Journals, August 5, 2010
Related Web Resources:
Attorney General Urges Alliance to Crack Down on Noncompliant Facilities, Illinois Attorney General, February 24, 2010
Nursing Home Safety Task Force, Illinois.gov
If your loved one was physically or sexually assaulted by a nursing home worker, another patient, or a visitor to the assisted living facility, contact our Chicago nursing home neglect and abuse lawyers to explore your legal options.
