Two nursing home residents reported that they were sexually assaulted by a former male nursing assistant who was in charge of their care. The 41-year-old man is accused of sexually assaulting a 59-year-old, a 73-year-old and a 93-year-old while he worked at the skilled nursing center. There are no details about the 93-year-old alleged victim, who was recently added to the indictment.

A federal court recently ruled that a nursing home can be sued for punitive damages in the case of a woman who fell from a mechanical chair lift and died the next day. The judge determined that the maintenance supervisor put the wrong safety clip on the lift. A certified nursing assistant was using a chair lift to move the resident when the safety straps slid off a support bar and she fell to the ground, according to court documents.

A nursing home has removed a sign advertising a five-star rating after a local news investigation into 2012 inspections at the facility that downgraded the rating. Federal records show after the inspection that the facility was rated an overall three stars, and only two stars under the “Health Inspections” section. Deficiencies in the Medicare inspection included improper administration of medications, having expired medications on site, and serving residents cold food.

The Elks National Home in Bedford has been sold for $4.5 million. The home has been owned by the Elks Lodge for 100 years. The new owner is Twenty/20 Management, a Blacksburg firm that owns and manages assisted living facilities.

A recent nursing home inspection discovered 23 federal violations. The nursing home was fined almost $40,000 as a result of the violations which included wrong medication dosages and even switching two patients’ medications. Five of the violations put the residents in “immediate jeopardy,” meaning they could cause harm or even death to the residents.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has postponed some hospital and nursing home inspections due to the federal government shutdown. The federal government gives state agencies $1.3 million per month for medical facility inspections. According to a department spokesperson, the delayed funds have not yet resulted in an immediate problem regarding inspections, but it could be “a more critical issue in the weeks ahead” if the shutdown continues.