Deadly fight prompts questions about nursing home

Deadly fight prompts questions about nursing home


Altercation in Oak Park wasn't reported to state health department

By Bridget Doyle and Erin Meyer, Chicago Tribune reporters
10:58 PM CST, February 15, 2012

An Oak Park nursing home failed to report to the state health department a deadly altercation between anAlzheimer's patient and another resident, authorities said Wednesday.

Anibal Calderon, 80, died of head injuries early Tuesday after an alleged fight that took place Sunday at Oak Park Healthcare Center, authorities said.

Calderon's death was ruled a homicide by the Cook County medical examiner's office. The other resident wasn't identified.

The Illinois Department of Public Health, the agency charged with licensing and regulating nursing homes, is investigating, a spokeswoman said.

Under state law, the nursing home should have reported the incident immediately to the health department as well as to the family of the victim and local police. State officials have no record that Oak Park Healthcare notified the health department, said spokeswoman Melaney Arnold.

"We did receive a complaint based on this case," Arnold said. "The facility did not report it to us."

The for-profit nursing home has 204 beds and an occupancy rate of about 75 percent, according to the state. It is owned by Sherwin Ray, who declined to comment, and Dr. Jakob Bakst, who couldn't be reached. Officials at the facility declined to comment.

Police said there was no indication the 66-year-old resident believed to be connected to the death was involved in previous acts of violence. Oak Park Police Chief Rick Tanksley said late Wednesday that the resident has a criminal background, but he declined to offer specifics.

Tanksley said the man is currently in a hospital, though he would not say where.

Federal regulations require that nursing home residents involved in violent incidents be removed from the facility if necessary for their safety and the safety of others.

"We want to make sure the residents are receiving quality care and are safe," Arnold said.

Nursing homes are required by state law to make available for public inspection the five most recent years of survey materials that would list possible violations, according to the IDPH website. But on Wednesday a Tribune reporter was escorted out of the Oak Park facility after requesting to look at the documents.

Although Oak Park Healthcare appears to be properly licensed, according to the state's website, some questions about its track record remained Wednesday as officials met to discuss what happened.

Oak Park Healthcare Center is not currently licensed to treat Alzheimer's patients, meaning that the facility is not allowed to represent itself to the public as a facility that specializes in such care, Arnold said.

But it could accept such residents on an individual basis, she said, and is required to have an appropriate care plan in place to address the needs of Alzheimer's patients.

It was unclear whether such a plan was available for Calderon.

Until this incident, the facility was compliant with state and federal regulations, Arnold said.

The nursing home was fined $10,000 by the state in 2002 for failing to get emergency care in a timely manner for a patient suffering seizures, according to reports. In 2005, the Tribune reported that Oak Park Healthcare was fined the same amount for neglecting a patient whose legs ultimately had to be amputated after maggots were discovered in the wounds.

State investigators visited Oak Park Healthcare in December in response to a complaint alleging the nursing home failed to file risk assessments for residents with criminal histories, records show.

Investigators found that the files for 19 offenders residing in the facility, including as many as 15 with felony convictions, contained no information about the level of risk they posed, according to the records.

Facility operators agreed to make changes, the records show.

"I am not sure where the facility is in the process," Arnold said.

bdoyle@tribune.com

Please read complete article at link below:


http://www.wgntv.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-elderly-man-beaten-20120216,0,5245252.story?track=rss

Editor's note: Your ProbateShark wonders if any of the parties involved in the altercation were wards of the Probate Court of Cook County.  Lucius Verenus, Schoolmaster,  ProbateSharks.com