Elder Law

Questions Remains About Improvement At Alden Village North

By Levin & Perconti

This blog has been filled with many reports on the shocking treatment of residents at the Alden Village North nursing home. The facility houses around 90 disabled children (and some adults) who suffer from severe mental and physical disabilities. The home has been the subject of recent investigations for mismanagement and improper treatment. In particular, a high number of children have died in recent years at the location from questionable practices by staff members.

An investigation by the Chicago Tribune uncovered a 10-year pattern of care violations, injury, and death. Since 2000, 13 children have died at the facility in ways that the state confirmed involved care citations (seven of those occurring in the last two years alone). Those figures also do not take into account at least 11 other resident deaths that did not trigger state intervention.

After years of problems, the facility is finally making changes that all observers hope will lead to better care for the children living at the home. A complete overhaul is obviously necessary to begin fixing the egregious problems. One advocate explained, ?This is sort of what you would do in a situation when things aren?t just problematic, but problematic down to the core.?

Administrators at the facility claim that they have worked to correct past problems. Those changes involve hiring more staff members while creating a new liaison position to handle complaints. The group is also attempting to improve basic hygiene, as children had previously been sent to school in soiled clothes.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on December 20, 2010 (boomark / email).