Last June, an elderly stroke survivor residing at Chicago’s Lakeview Rehab and Nursing Center fell to the floor while being transferred by mechanical lift from his bed to a shower chair. The fall broke his leg in two places. A single nurse’s aide had texted her coworkers three times seeking help before attempting the lift. None responded. The nurse — in a clear violation of a requirement that two aides conduct any high-risk transfer — went ahead on her own.
It wasn’t an isolated incident at the 178-bed facility. Since the beginning of 2021, federal regulators fined Lakeview Rehab, which is run by privately-owned Infinity Healthcare Management, more than $250,000 for 10 serious violations, according to the government’s Nursing Home Compare website. The facility earned just one out of five stars for quality, the lowest possible rating.
Really appreciate this investigative report. I was researching similar financial skullduggery at Continuous Care Retirement Communities (CRCs) until warfare between my union & the bosses broke out & I had to devote my time to that. Anyway, if you can believe CRCs are even less regulated than nursing homes! They engage in very similar financial cost shifting/revenue siphoning to the detriment of occupants. Upwards of 85% of CRCs are on land owner by not-for-profits … fraternal organizations or religious ones. And that’s the foundation upon which the scammery rests. Hope someone at The Lever will dig into these entities since they too will expand as boomers age out of their single family homes. Thanks much Lever!