The Bridgeway Christian Village Rehab and Special Needs Facilities was cited for failing to address obvious incidents of nursing home neglect at the Bensenville, Illinois facility.
A certified nurses assistant (CNA) began their shift and was immediately summoned to change the undergarments of one of the female residents. The resident informed the CNA that she had told another CNA from the earlier shift that she needed a change of clothes, and that CNA had refused, telling the resident she would have to wait.
The CNA reported the incident to her superior, and yet, no investigation ever took place to address the behavior. Subsequent interviews conducted by nursing home neglect inspectors revealed that this behavior was common. Many employees had similar stories where the needs of the residents had been neglected by the same CNA.
The section of the nursing home code that relates to abuse and neglect is very simple. It reads, in part: When an investigation of a report of suspected abuse of a resident indicates, based upon credible evidence, that an employee of a long-term care facility is the perpetrator of the abuse, that employee shall immediately be barred from any further contact with residents of the facility, pending the outcome of any further investigation, prosecution or disciplinary action against the employee.
It also states that any facility administrator who becomes aware of nursing home abuse or neglect of a resident shall “immediately report the matter by telephone and in writing to the resident’s representative.” This portion of the code was also ignored by Bridgeway Christian Village administration.
This kind of nursing home neglect is extremely serious because it can easily lead to bedsores, a deadly condition that is often fatal in nursing home neglect victims. Bedsores, also known as pressure ulcers, develop in damp conditions with residents who are unable to shift their weight. By allowing the resident to sit in wet clothes, the Bridgeway Christian Village CNA was putting the resident’s health into serious jeopardy.
If you have a loved one who has developed bedsores at Bridgeway Christian Village or at any Illinois nursing home or hospital, contact my law offices for a free and confidential evaluation of your case.