Illinois Nursing Homes Cited for Losing Patients

The Illinois Department of Public Health fined four Southwestern Illinois nursing homes for failure to provide adequate resident supervision.

A Madison County nursing home was fined $5,000 by the Illinois Department of Public Health for failing to prevent an Alzheimer's patient from wandering away from the facility.

The patient strayed from the Eden Village Care Center at 400 S. Station Road in Glen Carbon at 7:45 a.m. June 25, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Although the patient's personal alert door alarm sounded, it was canceled after a cursory look outside the door, the report stated. A neighbor found the unidentified patient, looked at the identification bracelet the patient wore and notified the nursing home.

Eden Village Care Center's administrator could not be reached for comment.

"This is the most serious violation we can issue," said IDPH spokesman Tammy Leonard. "Basically, it is a violation wherein serious physical injury or death could result."

Other citations included:

Randolph County Care Center at 312 W. Belmont St. in Sparta was fined because the department said a patient walked away from the home and was later found at a gas station by police. She sustained minor scratches.

Pickneyville Health Care Center at 708 Virginia Court in Pickneyville was fined because the department said that a patient attempted to leave several times, then slipped out the door when a visitor entered. The resident was not harmed.

Cardinal Hill Health Care at 400 E Hillview Ave. in Greenville was fined because the department said that a patient left the home and went across the road to a neighboring farmhouse. She was later returned to the home unharmed.