CHICAGO — A city inspector hired to monitor cases of elder abuse, neglect and financial exploitation at nursing and rehab facilities in Chicago didn’t show up to facility for at least a year and faked reports to cover it up, according to a report by the city’s top watchdog.
The unnamed “elder protective investigator” in the city’s Department of Family and Support Services was supposed to inspect nursing and rehab facilities on behalf of the family support agency. But the investigator didn’t show up and falsely reported dozens of in-person visits and face-to-face meetings at the facilities, according to a report released Monday by the office of Inspector General Joe Ferguson.
An investigation showed officials at the nursing and rehab facilities in question could not recall meeting with the inspector, according to the report. The employee also reported an in-person meeting with a nursing home staffer who was no longer employed there at that time. During an investigation into the case, the employee made evasive and inaccurate statements, the report states.
The employee accused of the misconduct resigned before being fired, according to the report. The inspector general’s office has suggested the family support agency supply inspectors with GPS-enabled cell phones to make supervision easier.
Department of Family and Support Services is working to install the GPS recommendations set out in the report, spokesperson Quenjana Olayeni said.
“The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) takes very seriously its role in protecting the health, safety and wellness of the city’s most vulnerable residents,” Olayeni said in a statement. “The department responded swiftly to an investigation by the Office of Inspector General into falsified work records by a former DFSS elder protective investigator.”
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