DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - The Fair Havens Senior Living facility is now facing a lawsuit after one family claimed their loved ones say they did not get proper care. Fair Havens also said they are launching their own investigation into the care of residents.
The family of Sharon Logan said she was lively and caring. Those who knew her, knew family was her everything.
"She was just a magical person," Logan's daughter, Eva Dyer said. " She loved her family dearly."
Logan, 74, died of COVID-19 at Fair Havens Senior Living Facility on Easter Sunday. She died alone.
"The hardest part was that I could not sit there with her, hold her hand and be there with her when it was time to say goodbye," her husband Jeff said.
The facility was closed to visitors as the coronavirus spread. Jeff and Dyer now wonder if their loved one got the care she needed.
"Did your Mom, your wife get the care that she needed?" WAND asked during an interview.
"That is pretty much debatable," Jeff said. "I would say it was minimal at best."
Sources told WAND about allegations of poor care, including one that Logan fell, laid on the floor and nurses failed to document it. Those sources said Logan died hours later. When WAND took these claims to the facility's attorney, she said they weren't aware of them and said the facility will be launching an investigation.
"Shut it down," Dyer said, when discussing suing the facility over the claims. "Shut it down because I am going to tell you that these old people can not talk for themselves."
A former nurse at the facility believes what Logan's family is saying.
"Do you feel like the residents are being taken care of or got proper care?' WAND asked.
"No," the nurse who WAND is calling "Jill" to protect her identity, said. "I really feel like the facility pushed everything up under the rug."
Jill worked at the facility for several years and has been a nurse for eight. She said what she saw happening in the facility gives her pause.
"Proper care? No, they were not getting the proper care," she said.
There are also concerns over whether staff at Fair Havens is properly wearing protective gear. WAND obtained pictures one week ago.
In those pictures, staff can be seen in a resident's room not properly wearing the gear. Jill said it was a problem the entire time she worked at Fair Havens.
"They never had any PPE for us to put on," Jill said. "I had to bring PPE from my other job because I had a family at home."
An attorney for the facility denied the allegation, and said there is adequate PPE. The attorney said she could not comment on the family's pending lawsuit because she has not seen it.
After WAND made her aware of the allegations regarding poor patient care, the attorney said an investigation into "resident abuse and neglect" would be launched. Following that conversation, Sharon Logan's family said the facilities administrator did reach out to them.
Fair Havens is also being sued by another family. The estate of Ellen Parr filed a lawsuit in 2018 after they claim their loved one was improperly handled by staff, suffered a fracture and then died.
An investigation into the allegations did find the facility violated five different state statues.
