Arrests Made in Surprise Nursing Home Sweep
Four nursing home residents with arrest warrants were found hiding out at a Chicago area nursing home yesterday, and more than a hundred others have been discovered in the last nine months.
The surprise sweep at the Central Nursing and Rehabilitation Center was the latest in a series of unannounced checks known as “Operation Guardian.” A team of investigators led by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan found residents and staffers wanted for everything from sex offense to burglaries. However, because more than two-thirds of the warrants were from out-of-state, only 30 people were arrested.
The state health department conducts separate, unannounced investigations of Illinois nursing homes every 12 to 15 months. But this three-month window gives facilities an opportunity to make last-minute improvements to remedy any state nursing home law violations.
Madigan pledged to continue the surprise checks “as long as the problem exists