Elderly Watch

Matters relating to the elderly

Read more about the article Health district launches survey on elder care amid deficit of nursing home beds, closed facilitiesFarrah Anderson
Broken furniture and items lay outside the former Champaign County Nursing Home which William “Avi” Rothner purchased in 2018. Photo by Farrah Anderson.

Health district launches survey on elder care amid deficit of nursing home beds, closed facilities

The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District and local group Advocates for Aging Care have launched a survey to help identify the state of senior services…

Continue ReadingHealth district launches survey on elder care amid deficit of nursing home beds, closed facilities
Read more about the article Elderly Champaign residents mourn the loss of services at Inman; Half of residents leaveDarrell Hoemann
Kenneth Adams and his son Brian Adams at the Windsor of Savoy after he had to move from the Inman Hotel in downtown on Wednesday, November 15, 2023. photo by Darrell Hoemann/C-U Citizen Access

Elderly Champaign residents mourn the loss of services at Inman; Half of residents leave

Champaign resident Brian Adams thought he had found the perfect home at Inman Place for his father Kenneth Adams, 91, in 2020. However, when…

Continue ReadingElderly Champaign residents mourn the loss of services at Inman; Half of residents leave
Read more about the article Champaign residents warned the county about a nursing home operator. Now, four senior facilities are closed.Farrah Anderson
Broken furniture and items lay outside the former Champaign County Nursing Home which William “Avi” Rothner purchased in 2018. Photo by Farrah Anderson.

Champaign residents warned the county about a nursing home operator. Now, four senior facilities are closed.

When the Champaign County Board sold the Champaign County Nursing Home in May 2018, the board members expected the new owners to care for…

Continue ReadingChampaign residents warned the county about a nursing home operator. Now, four senior facilities are closed.
Read more about the article Inspectors find negligence, abuse in central Illinois nursing homesDarrell Hoemann
A review of Illinois Department of Public Health documents found that one of the residents at Champaign Urbana Nursing and Rehab left the facility alone and traveled nearly 40 miles away.

Inspectors find negligence, abuse in central Illinois nursing homes

State officials have conducted hundreds of complaint-based nursing home inspections across central Illinois since 2011. In the seven Medicare-certified nursing homes in Champaign County alone, inspectors from the Illinois Department of Public Health conducted at least 114 complaint-based inspections.

Continue ReadingInspectors find negligence, abuse in central Illinois nursing homes
Read more about the article Inspections find peril in central Illinois nursing homesDarrell Hoemann
The knitting group at Clark-Lindsey Retirement Village, Urbana, on Friday, Nov. 7, 2014.

Inspections find peril in central Illinois nursing homes

After months of interviews and reviewing Medicare data, Illinois Department of Public Health reports, court records and other documents, CU-CitizenAccess.org found that central Illinois…

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Read more about the article Husband’s treatment prompts wrongful death lawsuitNews-Gazette contributed photo.
Gerald Warmbier, 71, died Aug. 14, 2013 at Carle Foundation Hospital. His wife, Judy, filed a lawsuit against Heartland of Champaign this year.

Husband’s treatment prompts wrongful death lawsuit

After being admitted to the nursing home Heartland of Champaign to recover from a hospital stay for chest pain last year, Gerald Warmbier’s health…

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Read more about the article Nursing home ratings sometimes misleadingDarrell Hoemann
Residents sit around a table during a knitting activity session as Clark-Lindsey Retirement Village on Nov. 7, 2014. Clark-Lindsey in Urbana and Country Health in Gifford are the only five-star facilities in Champaign County.

Nursing home ratings sometimes misleading

Since 2011, dozens of central Illinois nursing homes have improved their five-star Medicare rating, some by as much as four stars. But that improvement, some critics say, is not an accurate representation.

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Read more about the article Tips for finding a good nursing homeDarrell Hoemann
Clark-Lindsey Retirement Village residents gather for a “kitchen band” activity session on Nov. 7, 2014.

Tips for finding a good nursing home

In one central Illinois nursing home, staff allowed a man labeled as an “elopement risk” to leave and wander 38 miles away. In another facility, two employees were caught whispering that one of the employees was having an affair with a female resident’s husband until the resident started crying.

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Read more about the article Understaffing hard on nursing homes, residents alikeDarrell Hoemann
A sign advertising open positions is leaned against the wall in front of the Heartland of Champaign nursing home, Dec. 11, 2014.

Understaffing hard on nursing homes, residents alike

For many, nursing homes seem like the best option for aging family members because facilities offer the promise of 24-hour care. It is a promise, though, that many Champaign County and central Illinois nursing homes are finding hard to keep because of understaffing, particularly when it comes to registered nurses.

Continue ReadingUnderstaffing hard on nursing homes, residents alike
Read more about the article Volunteering helps keep seniors active and programs strongDarrell Hoemann/C-U Citizen Access
Frank Bernhart, who volunteers at the Stevick Center, at the Champaign Public Library on Wednesday, October 22, 2014.

Volunteering helps keep seniors active and programs strong

By Lauren Cox/For CU-CitizenAccess.org -- For Frank Bernhart, volunteering has made all the difference. Bernhart, 69, has worked as a volunteer at Stevick Senior…

Continue ReadingVolunteering helps keep seniors active and programs strong