Aperion Care St. Elmo
With 15% of Americans over the age of 65 and counting, Americans living longer than ever. Having access to high quality elder care is essential. When we make that difficult decision to place our loved one in the care of a nursing home, we expect them to be treated with respect and dignity, cared for with compassion and professionalism, and given a comfortable, safe space to live, thrive, and recuperate.
We shouldn’t have to worry about the care our loved ones receive. We shouldn’t have to question if they are being fed properly, their incontinence care attended to, medicines being administered accurately. We shouldn’t have to, but unfortunately, millions of elderly individuals are subjected to neglect and abuse annually. Intentionally low staffing numbers increase the corporation’s profits but allow our loved ones to suffer. Even in well-rated nursing homes, staffing numbers that trend low can lead to serious failures in care.
The attorneys at Levin & Perconti continually research and share information about nursing homes and their care violations in an effort to help you become more informed on what is happening at facilities around you. Having this information can help you make choices about your loved one’s care, help you recognize a problem if one arises, and how to move forward if necessary.
Aperion Care is a large network of nursing homes and healthcare facilities. Some of their facilities offer at least an average level of care, some are rated at above average by Medicare.gov – while still far too many of their facilities are performing at below average (or even much below average) levels.
About Aperion Care St. Elmo
221 East Cumberland
St Elmo, IL 62458
(618) 829-5581
Aperion Care St. Elmo is a small, 60 bed skilled nursing, short term rehabilitation, and physical therapy facility in St. Elmo, IL. They advertise physical, occupational, and speech therapies 7 days a week, with personalized care plans “ensuring you have a comfortable healing experience while you recover and prepare to return home.” Other amenities include a full-service salon, activities, a piano, and cable TV.
This facility is currently rated “average” overall by medicare.gov with much below average staffing numbers. Residents at Aperion Care St Elmo receive about half the physical therapy and RN care hours than the national average. Some of their latest care violations include:
06/27/2017 Failure to provide necessary care and services to maintain the highest well-being of each resident. The facility failed to properly assess a resident after a fall, resulting in an extended period of time elapsing before care was administered. The resident was found on her hands and knees at 7pm. Records indicate the fall was not reported to a nurse until the morning, at 7:30am. An LPN reported that when she went to get the resident up at 6:30am, her knee was swollen and she screamed when he leg was touched. An x-ray was ordered, and the resident was found to have sustained an impacted fracture to the middle/front of the tibia (bottom knee joint.)
05/24/2018 Failure to provide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist. The facility failed to store, label, and properly administer medications for several residents. Medications were distributed to residents without ensuring they had taken them, some medications placed next to dinner plates. Several medicine cups were sitting on top of the cart, some labelled, some not.
The medication cart was left unlocked and out of sight of the LPN as she passed medications. Another set of cups were in the top drawer of the cart, some containing narcotics. At one point, the LPN found a stray pill in the cart and popped it in to a cup. Another cup with granules and 2 ½ pills was noted with just a first name written – when questioned, the LPN could not identify what all the medications were. At no point through the entire medication pass did the LPN cleanse or wash her hands. Medications are not to be pre-poured, and no residents of the facility should be administering their own medication.
05/24/2018 Failure to provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. Failure to take measures to prevent cross contamination were observed during the care of multiple residents This includes multiple instances of improper disinfection after using a glucose meter – the LPN did not wipe the meter down according to protocols. Multiple instances of care given without gloved hands. Incontinence care was administered, and then multiple items were touched with soiled, gloved hands.
What You Should Look For
The reality is, there isn’t any one sign or “symptom” that will definitely alert you of a problem. The signs that your loved one may be subject to neglect or abuse can vary greatly, depending on the individual and the type of negligence or abuse they have been subjected to.
Weight loss, unexplained marks and bruises, personality changes, withdrawal from activities, dirty appearance, regularly wearing soiled undergarments, among other signs should be a red flag that something isn’t right. We’ve seen these signs lead to many nursing home neglect and elder abuse cases in our number of years experience in the field, with matters such as:
- Clogged Breathing Tubes
- Falls, Improper Transfers, Drops by Staff
- Pressure Sores and Bed Sores
- Physical Abuse
- Sexual Assault
If you feel your loved one may be a victim of neglect or abuse while a resident at Aperion Care St. Elmo, start by documenting any observations you feel are relevant, and bring your questions and concerns to the administration. You have the right to ask about your loved one’s care, and should be met with professional, thorough answers. If the staff and administration don’t provide you with satisfactory answers, it may be time to take further action by contacting an experienced elder abuse law firm, like Levin & Perconti.
The facilities must be held responsible when our elderly loved ones suffer injuries, illnesses, or emotional or financial damages due to negligence or abuse. At Levin & Perconti, we have made it our continuing mission to help the victims of negligent care or abuse while residing at Illinois nursing homes and their families get the compensation they deserve and holding these facilities and negligent caregivers responsible for their actions.
We are committed to helping those affected by negligence or abuse and their families navigate these difficult situations. Click here to contact Levin & Perconti or call us at 877-374-1417 for a zero cost, completely confidential, and no obligation consultation today.
Disclaimer: The above inspection findings are taken from public sources, including the Illinois Department of Health and from Medicare inspection conducted at the facility. Levin & Perconti cannot confirm that this page’s content represents the latest information available. The inspection findings published here are not complete. You may find the most up to date information at www.il.gov or medicare.gov. Any deficiencies/citations listed on this page may have been corrected or substantially corrected after the date of the inspection and date of publishing this material. This page is a legal advertisement and a resource of information for visitors. This material is not endorsed by the facility identified or by any governmental agency. Levin and Perconti does not have any affiliation with the facility mentioned.
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Not only were they so professional but also so caring and thoughtful. It was very difficult going over the facts in our mother's case but they were so compassionate and understanding and allowed us to be with them every step of the way. We were able to sit in on the depositions and we were really able to see how hard they worked on our behalf.
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Notable Results
VERDICT
on behalf of an 85-year-old woman injured in a nursing home when her medications were mismanaged.
VERDICT
for the estate of a 67-year-old man who died from complications related to a fall
SETTLEMENT
for a 59-year-old resident who developed multiple painful and infected bedsores which took four years to heal.
Aperion Care Facilities
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- Aperion Care International
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- Aperion Care Moline
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- Aperion Care Oak Lawn
- Aperion Care Peoria Heights
- Aperion Care Plum Grove
- Aperion Care Spring Valley
- Aperion Care St. Elmo
- Aperion Care Tolleston Park
- Aperion Care Toluca
- Aperion Care Wilmington
- Maple Crossing at Amboy
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325 N LaSalle Dr Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60654
312-332-2872