Local News

Elderly Man Beaten To Death At Nursing Home

CHICAGO (STNG) ― An elderly man living in a South Side nursing home with a history of negligence and state-mandated fines was beaten to death, an autopsy determined Friday.

Ivory Jackson died Monday from blunt head trauma due to an assault, cranio-cerebral injuries and sepsis, according to an autopsy performed by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.

Jackson's death was ruled a homicide.

The 77-year-old man was pronounced dead at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn at 9:04 p.m. Monday, according to the medical examiner's office, who said Jackson's last known address was a nursing home at 2940 W. 87th St.

Jackson came to the long-care facility, Renaissance at 87th Street, the week of June 16, according to Fran Meehan, an attorney for the nursing home. He was the victim of an assault at his last nursing home, underwent surgery at a local hospital and was then taken to Renaissance.

"He was only in [the Renaissance] facility for four or five days before he expired," Meehan said. "He had an altercation of some kind at a previous nursing home."

Jackson had complications from his previous injuries while at Renaissance and was taken to Christ Medical Center where he died.

Meehan said Jackson's assault occurred in a nursing home at 3500 S. Giles Ave.

All Faith Pavilion (formerly William L. Dawson Nursing Home) is located at the Giles Avenue address and has a history of public health violations, according to a news release from the Illinois Department of Public Health.

The All Faith Pavilion and the William L. Dawson Nursing Home has been forced to pay at least $80,000 in fines since 2004 for "A" violations from the IDPH. "A" violations are given when a nursing home neglects patients, fails to properly instruct staff, or any other behavior that results in the "substantial probability that death or serious mental or physical harm will result," the release said.

The nursing home's violations include at least two deaths linked to neglect.

A spokesperson for the All Faith Pavilion was not available for comment Saturday morning.

Meehan said she did not know who assaulted Jackson at the Giles Avenue nursing home.

Police News Affairs Officer Laura Kubiak said that Wentworth Area detectives were conducting an ongoing investigation of Jackson's death.

(Source: Sun-Times News Group Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2006. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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