The Illinois Department of Health has cited and fined Alden Park Strathmoor when a resident fell between her bed and wall-mounted radiator, causing her right foot to become trapped under the hot radiator. The resident suffered a second-degree burn to the top of her foot that required hospital treatment, including surgical debridement of the wound.
The incident occurred when the resident fell from her bed and became trapped between the bed and the wall-mounted radiator in her room. According to the facility’s documentation, staff found the resident “on the floor of her room with her right leg stuck under the heater.” The resident was discovered to have a burn to the top (dorsal area) of her foot.
On the same day as the fall, the facility received abnormal lab results for the resident and sent her to a local hospital for evaluation. During her hospital stay, the resident was diagnosed with multiple conditions including a high blood potassium level, Influenza A, urinary tract infection (UTI), and a second-degree burn to her right foot. Hospital records showed that the burn was severe enough to require wound debridement, a procedure that removes damaged tissue to promote healing.
When interviewed about the incident, the resident clearly recalled what happened: “I got burned. I fell and my foot got stuck under the heater. My bed used to be over by the wall with the heater. I stuck in between there when I fell. I couldn’t get up. My foot was burning.” Her account demonstrates she was aware of the pain and danger but was unable to free herself.
The nurse who discovered the resident provided additional details: “I heard her calling for help. I found her on the floor of her room, stuck between the bed and the radiator on the wall. Her right foot had gotten stuck in the radiator. When I pulled her foot out from under the radiator, the top of her foot was bright red.”
After returning to the facility, the resident was assessed by the facility’s wound physician. The physician documented a “new wound to right foot. Burnt her foot via radiator.” The wound assessment measured the burn at 9 centimeters by 5.5 centimeters by 0.1 centimeters, covering the top of her right foot and the first two toes. When interviewed, the wound physician confirmed he was treating the resident for a “second degree burn to her right foot caused by the radiator in her room.”
Significantly, the facility’s Maintenance Director revealed that there was no system in place to monitor or control the temperatures of the wall radiators in resident rooms. He explained, “We don’t check the temperatures of the radiators. We can’t control the wall radiators. They just kick in when the forced air heating system of the facility has trouble maintaining room temperatures. When it’s colder outside and the forced air system has trouble keeping the temperatures up, the wall radiators will work longer and harder to help keep the room temperatures where they need to be.”
The Maintenance Director also confirmed that wall radiators were located in every resident room in the facility, potentially placing all 160 residents at risk for similar injuries. The Administrator acknowledged that the facility did not have a policy or process for monitoring the temperatures of the wall-mounted radiators.
During an observation conducted by state inspectors, the resident was seen in bed with her right foot propped up on a pillow, with a large gauze dressing around her right foot and ankle, indicating ongoing treatment for the serious burn injury.
The facility’s failure to implement safety measures regarding the wall-mounted radiators—such as temperature monitoring, protective barriers, or bed placement guidelines—created a dangerous environment that led to this resident’s painful injury and subsequent hospitalization.
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