COUNTY NURSING HOME: State finds fault

The Illinois Department of Public Health found three irregularities at the La Salle County Nursing Home in September.

In the first case, a staff member did not report suspected verbal abuse of a 100-year-old resident by a certified nurse's aide. According to witnesses who spoke to the IDPH, the aide acted like a "warden in a jail" and the aide's voice was "elevated and rough." One witness said the aide yelled at the resident, "Don't you dare stand up," which further agitated the resident. This happened the evening of Aug. 1. The aide accused of the abuse worked a double shift that day from 6:45 a.m. to 11:15 p.m.

Another CNA was suspended three days for not reporting the other aide's verbal abuse. The IDPH said Thursday the process of taking action against the aide connected to the abuse is under way. La Salle County Board member Gary Small, R-Utica, who is chairman of the board's nursing home committee, previously said the aide was not a county employee, but rather was a temporary worker from an agency that provides aides when needed.

In the second case, a resident had an allergy to bananas and is not to eat the fruit. However, Aug. 10, the resident was served banana cake, ate it and had to be taken to a hospital emergency room. A staff member believed the food was spice cake.

In the third case, a registered nurse did not promptly perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a resident July 17, instead leaving the resident and going to get help. The resident died and the nurse was fired. The nurse had been a nurse two years and the incident happened at the end of a 24-hour shift for her, according to an IDPH document.

The administrator at the time of these incidents was Dr. Amjad Hussain, who resigned Aug. 13 after six months on the job. The current administrator, Chris Csernus, took over Aug. 24. Csernus could not be reached for comment.


LA SALLE COUNTY NURSING HOME: State finds faults