FIRED NURSING HOME WORKERS SHED LIGHT ON NURSING HOME’S IMPROPER CONDUCT

Kenneth Allen and Olunfunmibi Ogunyipe were social workers working for the Bria of River Oaks Nursing Home. Last year, the two former employees filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Cook County alleging that they were terminated by the nursing home for refusing to falsify and fabricate residents’ medical records to conceal abuse suffered by residents at the home. Their lawsuit reveals some disturbing conduct by the nursing home.
Allen described a situation where they were asked to falsify a medical chart a female resident who suffered a facial bruises and a black eye. He also told of a sexual assault report he made which a supervisor removed from the victim-resident’s file.

Ogunyipe described an event where a resident requested a discharge from the home and a supervisor told him to write medical notes stating that attempts were made to find a new program but were unsuccessful. He also describes a supervisor’s ploy to deceive state investigators by removing disheveled residents from the building altogether. This included trips to buy cigarettes.

Our firm has investigated numerous instances of neglect against other Bria facilities, of which there are currently 13 facilities. We also successfully finalized a wrongful death claim against the Bria of Forest Edge nursing home.