Heritage Health El Paso
Helping a loved one transition into assisted living can be confusing and daunting. There’s lots of information to process and decisions to be made on top of the conflicting emotions of relief that they’ll receive the care they need and worry that that care won’t meet your expectations after all.
That worry is not misplaced. As more and more Americans enter assisted living, there has been a significant increase in the number of abuse reports in nursing homes. It is believed that 1 in 3 nursing home residents will experience some form or abuse during their residency. That’s enough to give anyone pause. So what can you do?
Levin & Perconti has seen hundreds of nursing home abuse cases of all types, some involving
It’s cases like these that have motivated us to educate families and individuals on what they can do to keep friends and family safe while in the care of nursing homes. The main thing you can do is pick the right nursing home, one that comes highly rated and has a proven record of providing compassionate, attentive care to residents. That’s why we offer tips on how to find good nursing homes and share information about Medicare ratings for specific facilities like Heritage Health El Paso.
About Heritage Health El Paso
555 East Clay
El Paso, IL 61738
(309) 527-6240
Heritage Health El Paso is a Medicare-certified facility with 65 beds. This small facility offers skilled nursing and rehab services in a small-town environment.
Medicare gives Heritage Health El Paso an Above Average rating overall. This rating is comprised of an Average quality measures rating, Below Average staffing rating, and Above Average health inspection rating.
Levin & Perconti advises using Medicare ratings in conjunction with Medicare’s health inspection reports to compare and contrast different nursing homes. These health inspection reports document deficiencies found during the latest health inspections and can give valuable insight into the type of care residents receive at individual facilities. For example, below are the deficiencies found most recently at Heritage Health El Paso.
2/28/2018 Failure to provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections. Staff failed to clean the catheter insertion site of a resident in a manner intended to prevent urinary tract infections.
2/28/2018 Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. Staff failed to perform hand hygiene while providing incontinence care for a resident. The staff member changed a resident’s bag and cleaned the resident while wearing the same gloves used to move a trash can. The staff member also neglected tow ash her hands before putting on new gloves, then touched the resident’s lift with a second pair of dirty gloves. These actions promote the spread of bacteria.
Protecting Nursing Home Residents from Abuse
You can’t be there in person every moment to protect a loved one living in a nursing home, but you can still take measures to reduce the likelihood of abuse by picking a highly rated facility with proof of the high-quality care they provide.
While isolated incidents of abuse can occur anywhere, low-rated nursing homes with numerous health inspection deficiencies are more likely to put residents at risk for abuse. The best protection you can offer a vulnerable nursing home resident is finding them a facility that upholds their promises of professional, effective caregiving.
Finding such a facility requires extensive research. Begin by asking trusted friends, doctors, or social workers for recommendations for the best assisted living facilities in your area. With this list, take your time investigating each facility. Look for information like Medicare ratings, reviews, and news reports online.
You can also read what each nursing home has to say about itself on their company websites, but they will always market themselves as the best; take their claims with a grain of salt and rely more on unbiased resources for information.
With your research, pick your favorite options and schedule tours at each facility so you can see for yourself what they’re like. Observe the cleanliness of each facility, friendliness of staff, and the general atmosphere. Take this opportunity to ask questions about staff qualifications and background checks, the ratio of staff to residents, how much time is spent caring for residents individually, and protocol for addressing abuse. Don’t hesitate to visit again or call if you have more questions later.
All of this careful research and touring should help you confidently pick a facility you and your loved one feel comfortable with. However, your work isn’t done. After they move in, keep in touch and visit with your friend or relative frequently to monitor their care and advocate for them if they should need it. Residents who are isolated from friends and family are more likely to be victimized, so your regular attention alone can help protect them.
Your loved one may also need your help recognizing or reporting abuse if it should happen. Many of the frailest nursing home residents are unable to do so themselves. You can help them by learning common signs of abuse to watch out for, such as
- Untreated severe bedsores
- Unexplained injuries like bruises, burns, or scars
- Evidence of poor circulation like sunken cheeks or eyes
- Weight loss or malnourishment not due directly to an illness
- Frequent trips to the emergency room or doctor
- Wrong type or the wrong amount of medication administered
- Poor hygiene or unwashed clothes or hair
- Instances of wandering or elopement
- Frequently misplaced or lost personal items
- A lack of basic necessities, including utilities, water, and food
- A dirty room or bathroom
- Frequent trouble sleeping
- Unusual violent or withdrawn behavior
- Sudden depression or confusion
- Signs of trauma like rocking back and forth
If you ever become aware of any abuse or neglect, document your experience and report it to management immediately. The facility administrators should take your concerns seriously and follow established protocols to investigate and prevent further abuse.
Unfortunately, sometimes ineffective management lies at the root of an abuse problem, and the administrators may fail in their responsibilities and obligations to appropriately address and correct an abusive situation. If you find a nursing home unwilling to protect a resident from further harm, it is best to seek legal aid.
Levin & Perconti Can Help
Levin & Perconti are recognized throughout the state of Illinois for our success working with victims of nursing home abuse. If you are looking for help and guidance as you navigate the legal system on behalf of a nursing home abuse victim, we are here for you. We have all the experience and knowledge you need. Our attorneys have won millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements, and we can win for you too. All you need to do is click or call Levin & Perconti at 888-424-5757 today to receive a free consultation and the help you need.
Disclaimer: The above health inspection findings are taken from public records kept and published by Medicare and the state of Illinois and are not complete. Levin & Perconti cannot confirm that this page’s content includes the latest information available. Any corrections or additions made to these public records after the publication of this page will not be found here. For the most up-to-date information, visit www.il.gov or medicare.gov. This page is a legal advertisement and informational resource for visitors and is not endorsed by the named facility or any government agency. Levin & Perconti does not have any affiliation with the named facility.
Testimonials
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.
Contact Us
- Free Consultation
- (312) 332-2872
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.
Heritage Health Facilities
- Heritage Health Beardstown
- Heritage Health Bloomington
- Heritage Health Carlinville
- Heritage Health Chillicothe
- Heritage Health Dwight
- Heritage Health El Paso
- Heritage Health Elgin
- Heritage Health Gibson City
- Heritage Health Gillespie
- Heritage Health Hoopeston
- Heritage Health Jacksonville
- Heritage Health Litchfield
- Heritage Health Mendota
- Heritage Health Minonk
- Heritage Health Mount Sterling
- Heritage Health Mount Zion
- Heritage Health Normal
- Heritage Health Pana
- Heritage Health Peru
- Heritage Health Robinson
- Heritage Health Springfield
- Heritage Health Staunton
- Heritage Health Streator
- Heritage Health Walnut
- Heritage Square
Our Office
325 N LaSalle Dr Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60654
312-332-2872