A federal watchdog group has confirmed widely published news reports of unnecessary death at a well known Chicago nursing home that caters to disabled children and young adults.  After conducting its own investigation of care at the facility, Equip for Equality has confirmed at least five more deaths at Alden Village North were related to poor care and slopping medical care.

According to a recent article from Wgntv.com, basic protocols such as: improper diagnoses, delayed physician responses to staff inquiries and ignored lab results were to blame at least eight deaths at the Chicago institution since 2008.

These investigative results come on the heels of earlier reports regarding the recent deaths of young people at the facility due to similar errors.

Not surprisingly, a spokesman for Alden disputes the findings;

While we respect the work of Equip for Equality, we strongly disagree with their conclusions in this report.  The reality is that since taking over this facility in 2008, we have invested tremendous resources in improvements to the environment and the staff.  Our residents are like family to us and we mourn whenever one of them passes.  The individuals discussed in this report died as a result of the complex and serious medical conditions they faced.  The care that we provided sustained their lives.

Certainly, in the wake of these recent deaths, I hope that this Alden facility is conducting a far more intensive internal audit of their practices than their spokesperson appears to portray.  Given the number of suspicious deaths at this facility, I would certainly hope that state regulators similarly look at this facility with more scrutiny to ensure the safety of these young people.

Related:

Nursing Home Abuse: The Deaths Of 13 Children Linked To Poor Care At Chicago Nursing Home

Children In Nursing Homes: Truly The Most Vulnerable

Alden Village North Charged With Neglect After Child Dies Due To Inadequate Nursing Care

Illinois Nursing Homes With Second Quarter 2010 Violations