Regal Rehab closed by Illinois Department of Public Health

Regal Health & Rehab Center nursing home in Oak Lawn has been closed by the Illinois Department of Public Health.  The facility, which was operated by Gem Healthcare, was closed following a long series of health care and safety violations.

One of my criticisms of the Illinois Department of Public Health is that it very seldom takes aggressive action with regard to substandard care.  However, this nursing home had a number of repeated serious violations for substandard care.

Our firm has prosecuted a nursing home abuse and neglect suit against this facility in the past.  Our client's mother developed a bed sore on her coccyx which was described as a Stage II pressure ulcer in the medical records.  When she developed a urinary tract infection and was taken to Christ Hospital, multiple members of the nursing staff described the bed sore as a Stage IV pressure ulcer.  When the urinary tract infection cleared, the nursing home staff continued to describe the bed sore as a Stage II pressure ulcer.  Two weeks later it was infected and she was returned to Christ Hospital where the nursing staff assessed the bed sore as a Stage IV pressure ulcer.  She died a few days after admission.

To us, as experienced Chicago nursing home lawyers, it was apparent that this facility had serious problems with regard to the quality of care provided to its residents.  I have to believe that many of these nursing home residents will better cared for in another facility.