Among the 580 nursing homes cited as unsafe by the federal government, seven – whose residents are predominately Black – are on Chicago’s South Side.
Among the 580 nursing homes cited as unsafe by the federal government, seven – whose residents are predominately Black – are on Chicago’s South Side. The facilities are: All Faith Pavilion, 3500 S. Giles; South Shore Nursing and Rehab Center, 2649 E. 75th St.; Renaissance Park South, 10935 S. Halsted St.; Alden Wentworth Rehab and Health Care Center, 201 W. 69th St.; Avenue Care Center, 4505 S. Drexel Blvd.; Rainbow Beach Care Center, 7325 S. Exchange; and Belhaven Nursing and Rehab Center, 11401 S. Oakley Ave. The U.S. Government Accountability Office deemed these nursing homes among the most, unsafe senior facilities out of 16,000 nationwide. The list was compiled by several 2008 inspections at the nursing homes. However, the report did not identify specific safety conditions outlined at the nursing homes but did indicate that many safety violations uncovered by inspections involved incidents where residents were injured or could have potentially been injured. The Centers for Medicare & Medical Services, a division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, is responsible for overseeing safety for all nursing homes. In Illinois, the Department of Public Health plays a similar role. There were 58 nursing homes nationally, whose residents are predominately Black, cited in the report as unsafe even though only five percent of all nursing homes have a majority Black population. In October Gov. Pat Quinn commissioned a nursing home taskforce to come up with recommendations on how to improve nursing homes overall. “We will make sure Illinois’ nursing homes offer a safe haven for residents, many of whom are among our most vulnerable and needy,” Quinn told the Defender. “Our seniors have made sacrifices we can never repay them for so the least we can do is make sure they are safe during their golden years in life.” State Sen. Jacqueline Collins, D-16th Dist, who has been working with community leaders over several months, said there are “substantial disparities” in care to Black nursing home residents on the South Side. “The paper trail makes it clear that Black nursing home residents in Chicago have fallen victim to a systemic failure,” she said. “For far too long, nursing home operators and owners have been allowed to simply pay minimal fines for lack of care. “It’s time to change how we treat nursing home abuse, neglect and bias in Illinois and rewrite the policies that allow these patterns to continue.” She added that the Senate’s Public Health & Human Services Committees are also looking into safety of nursing home residents. But the uncertain safety conditions have caused those with family staying at nursing homes to rethink keeping them there. “My wife and I are considering moving my grandmother home with us because we fear for her safety,” said Jerome Butler, 53, whose 78-year-old mother is a resident at Renaissance Park South. And at Belhaven Nursing and Rehab Center, Brian Rogers, 51, is taking steps to transfer his 80-year-old dad to another senior facility. “I am so tired of accidents happening at this place and management saying it won’t happen again. My dad had supposedly fell and rolled out of bed even though he disputes it. Each time he was injured and I worry about his safety all the time,” he said. “I cannot go see him everyday because of my work schedule but I go as much as I can but now I am at a point where I want him moved somewhere safer.” Beyond safety is cost, which is why some families said they chose a nursing home on the South Side. “It was much cheaper to have him at the South Shore Nursing and Rehab Center than somewhere on the North Side,” said Mika Green, 40, whose 69-year-old father has been a resident there for five years. “I live in South Shore so it’s easy for me to go visit him especially since I do not have a car. There may well be better nursing facilities for him but they’re expensive and can be a cost burden for families.” Collins added that another disparity among nursing homes is the medical staff. “Many nursing homes with a majority Black resident population have certified nursing assistants who attend to residents opposed to a registered nurse found at most nursing homes with a majority white population,” she said. The requirements to become a CNA are less that those to become a RN and CNA’s are paid much less too, which suggests one reason why some nursing homes use more CNAs than RNs, said Collins. And among the CNA programs available the Illinois Department of Human Services pays for those receiving welfare to complete the program as part of its educational benefits offered. The Health Care Council of Illinois, a trade association for the senior nursing home industry, said Illinois nursing homes are safe environments but welcomed suggestions by the taskforce on how to make them safer.
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