Glenwood Home for the Disabled Cited Seventh Time in 19 Months

Following recent inspections by the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing, a state-run home for the disabled has been cited for the seventh time in 19 months. The fines assessed against the facility, Glenwood Resource Center, were for failing to provide adequate care to its residents. Inspection reports state that two of the violations involved the death of residents.

Recent Violations Against Glenwood Resource Center

One of the recent violations involved a situation where a worker had left her purse in a common area of the facility. About 25 minutes later, two workers at the facility entered the room of a male resident and saw the missing purse sitting on the man’s dresser. The 42-year-old has severe mental disabilities and the workers saw that he had white powder residue on his mouth and hands. The owner of the purse had a pill bottle with four hydrocodone pills.

After ingesting the pills, the man’s oxygen levels started dropping and he became lethargic. The staff administered Narcan before calling 9-1-1. Once at the hospital, the man was treated and discharged the next day. However, staff should have taken steps to secure their personal belongings instead of leaving them lying about where residents could get hold of something potentially harmful.

Glenwood was cited and fined $7,500 for this incident.

In an unrelated incident, a worker held the door to a living area to bar a wheelchair-bound resident from entering the room. According to workers who witnessed the incident unfolding, their co-worker refused to let the resident in, which resulted in the profoundly disabled man hitting himself in the face and head while yelling. The man sustained multiple scratches, including an open wound on his face.

Additional Violations Involving Resident Deaths

The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports that there have been multiple violations at Glenwood that involved the deaths of residents due to inadequate care, including:

• A resident’s heart rate dropped significantly, but staff failed to intervene on his behalf and the man later died.
• A resident suffered acute dehydration and died.
• The facility failed to report potential abuse of a resident to the state.

As a result of these violations, Glenwood has received multiple violations and been assessed significant fines. Just last year, the state announced they intended to relocate Glenwood’s residents and permanently close the facility by the end of next year (2024).

Concerned About Your Loved One in a Nursing Home? PKSD Is Here To Help

Not every nursing home will be diligent to provide the level of care your loved one deserves. If you suspect your family member has suffered injuries due to abuse or neglect, it is important that you seek legal help from an experienced attorney as soon as possible.

Nursing home abuse and neglect cases are extremely complex, which is why they require assistance from a knowledgeable attorney.

At PKSD, our nursing home abuse attorneys have extensive experience advocating for the injured in Wisconsin nursing homes. We now also accept these cases in New Mexico and Iowa.

Contact our law offices 24/7 to discuss your situation and potential legal options. There is no charge for your initial consultation and no upfront costs to hire our services. We only get paid if you do.

PKSD is ready to fight you. Call 414-333-3333 24/7.