Anthology Memory Care Center In Grayslake Cited For Insufficient Staffing, Failure To Properly Look Into Resident Injuries
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A grandmother is left slumped over in her chair; another went without her medication. Both women had apparently gone days without a shower. These are just some of the accusations made against a suburban nursing home that were later confirmed by state officials.
CBS 2 Morning Insider Lauren Victory takes us inside the claims against Anthology of Grayslake.
Tammy Hoeksema and Leah Weaver want the very best for their mom, Gail. Years ago, she was often the best-dressed around.
"She was so cute, you know? We always used to joke when we had little kids that she looked cuter than us," Hoeksema said.
So imagine Hoeksema's surprise on a visit to Anthology of Grayslake, when Gail emerged from the memory care facility looking disheveled.
"You know, her nails were ragged. They were filthy," Hoeksema said.
"You could see it [hair] was oily, dirty. It would stick up with the things in the back," Weaver added.
The sisters don't believe their 84-year-old mom was routinely showered, or that other sanitation needs were met by Anthology staff members.
"She's supposed to be getting hygiene care at least four times a day, and it was very clear that she hadn't been to the restroom at all that morning," Hoeksema said.
"They did not have enough help," said Julie Shapiro, whose mother Dolores also was a resident at Anthology in Grayslake.
Shapiro blames a lack of caregivers for an incident where she says she found her 85-year-old mother in the same clothes she was wearing five days earlier.
"I looked at the laundry basket. There were no underwear, and they only do the laundry as needed," said Shapiro.
These aren't just allegations. Many are confirmed violations. The Illinois Department of Public Health investigated complaints at Anthology of Grayslake twice in the past year, and CBS2 got our hands on the results.
The state cited the nursing home for failure to provide sufficient staffing in May. The report found inadequate supervision led to multiple falls by residents and several broken bones.
The facility was supposed to provide showers two times a week. Instead, in one case, one resident received just two showers in one month.
The same report details issues with missing medications and unanswered phone calls. A nursing home staff member told the state on some days "...she was the only caregiver for whole building."
Another IDPH investigation from September 2020 cited an abuse reporting issue related to a failure to properly look into the source of resident injuries.
"It [the state report from May] was actually worse than we thought, but it was also validating to realize it wasn't us thinking something that wasn't true. It actually was awful," said Hoeksema.
"I have to say the CNAs (certified nursing assistants) who were there were very kind. They knew what they were doing," Shapiro added, though that didn't make up for the unsanitary treatment of her mom.
She took Dolores out of Anthology in May.
Hoekesma and Weaver moved Gail to another facility in Fall 2020.
"We were paying close to $6,000 a month," they said.
Both seniors are now much happier - and cleaner - at their new nursing homes, the families tell us.
CBS 2's Freedom of Information Act request did show the state received and accepted of Statements of Corrections from Anthology of Grayslake. We acknowledged that when asking leadership at the facility about changes made in light of the state's findings.
Jake Call, Regional Vice President of West Operations for Anthology, sent CBS 2 the following statement:
Anthology of Grayslake takes all allegations seriously, and extensively investigates such claims to ensure the safety of its residents. Our community, as well as every assisted living and memory care community across the country, is routinely inspected by The Department of Health. We are required to abide by the rules set forth by the state health department and address every concern with a plan of correction. Anthology of Grayslake is in good standing with the state of Illinois and strictly follows regulations. The level of care provided at Anthology of Grayslake is of upmost importance and something we work hard at perfecting, including providing continued training for team members. We keep an open and transparent dialogue with the state, residents and their families and are willing to share how we've corrected issues brought by the state.
CBS 2 followed up, asking for him again to elaborate on corrections made, but Call declined to make any further comments.