Lincolnshire Nursing Home Operated With No Medical Staff On Duty: IDPH

LINCOLNSHIRE, IL — Following reports that no medical staff was on duty Monday at a Lincolnshire nursing home, the Illinois Department of Public Health has opened an investigation. Warren Barr Lincolnshire, a skilled nursing facility, is licensed to house 144 beds at 150 Jamestown Lane.

According to IDPH, nursing home surveyors responded immediately to the home Monday morning after being alerted to the lack of clinical care staff. The Lincolnshire Fire Department EMS units also responded to the home to assist in caring for the 104 residents living there.

When IDPH staff arrived, they encountered the facility medical director, who was there to check on patients.

"Our first priority was to ensure the care and well-being of all affected residents," IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a news release. "A comprehensive review and investigation is underway. We are grateful for the swift response by local EMS and police officials in Lincolnshire, as well as our sister agency, the Illinois Department on Aging, all of whom assisted in responding to this urgent issue."

The license for the facility is in the name of Lincolnshire Living & Rehab Center, LLC. WBBM-TV is reporting the care facility, which is undergoing a name change, recently changed owners with Monday being the first scheduled day for the new ownership to take over. WBBM-TV reports a letter was sent out to patients and families late last week regarding the change of ownership.

The IDPH said its surveyors assisted in assessing the facility for safety and contacted staff who had previously worked at the facility. They came up with a plan for continuing care coverage for the residents for the next 24 hours and through the rest of the week.

"IDPH is investigating a failure to provide adequate staff and to provide for the health and safety of residents under Illinois’s Nursing Home Care Act," IDPH stated in the news release. "The department is also coordinating the investigation with federal CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) which is responsible for long term care facilities that participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs."

IDPH said the investigation will determine if penalties will be handed down, which include possible citations and fines.