Nursing home reports staffing gaps, 10 July falls (no injuries) and seven life‑safety citations from IDPH survey

LaSalle County nursing-home staff reported on Aug. 11 that the facility—s census was 63 and the admissions coordinator arranged four new admissions during July. The nursing-home report said the facility used contracted CNAs and RNs to cover staffing needs and that hiring remains active: two full-time CNAs started in July and a PRN RN began training, while several part‑time CNAs resigned to return to school.

The facility reported it seeks to expand its internal staffing pool, saying it would like to have eight additional CNAs and four more nurses available in the staffing pool (the director clarified that those are target slots to maintain coverage, not an assertion of being routinely short by that count). The facility continues to use agency staff “when we need them,” administrators said.

Clinical and safety items: the report recorded 10 resident falls in July, none involving injury, and described active use of gait belts and a —walk-to-dine— program that now includes 25 residents to encourage supervised movement to meals. Rehab staff reported increased use of a Newstep exercise bike and garden produce distributed to residents.

Survey and compliance: the nursing home reported that its annual IDPH survey began July 29 and that the exit interview with state surveyors occurred Aug. 6; no final tags had been provided at the Aug. 11 meeting. Separately, the facility—s IDPH life-safety code certification survey on July 30 produced seven citations, the administrator said; the facility had not yet received a final statement of deficiencies and will share details at the next committee meeting.

Employee incident and other operational notes: staff recorded one employee injury report in July after a CNA received bruising to the left rib cage during an incident when a resident attempted to exit the building. Nursing staff are continuing competency audits through August and September and plan a CPR/BLS class on Aug. 21. The administrator said they are considering adding an in‑house dietitian, per state survey recommendation; staffing for driver and scheduler positions was discussed and remains under review.

Financial/process note: the report said hospice reimbursement payments were higher in the month because of reconciled non‑billed claims dating back to 2023. The director also mentioned a quote for facility fire‑extinguisher training: $200 per class for up to 30 staff with $100 for additional classes.

Committee action: the committee approved the nursing‑home bills and accepted the nursing‑home report during the Aug. 11 meeting.