Mercy Circle: Bathing Neglect for Dementia Resident - IL
The resident, identified in inspection documents only as R1, was scheduled for showers every Sunday and Wednesday. Since admission, that schedule called for 13 showers. Records confirmed one was completed.
Eight of those scheduled dates had no documentation at all. Not a refusal. Not a bed bath offered in place of a shower. Nothing.
Inspectors pulled seven skin monitoring sheets from the facility's comprehensive CNA shower review. What those sheets showed was a pattern of substitution and refusal, but only for the dates that were documented. A bed bath on August 6. A shower on August 31. A bed bath on September 3. On September 12, staff noted R1 had refused, and that the refusal had been witnessed three times, including once in front of R1's daughter, and confirmed by a nurse. Bed baths were offered and given on September 14, 15, and 17. On September 17, staff noted no new skin areas had been observed.
But for eight earlier dates stretching back to August 10, there was simply no paperwork. No entry showing a shower was attempted. No entry showing a bath was substituted. An aide identified as V7 confirmed to inspectors that there were no documented showers for any of those dates.
R1's care plan described a resident who needed help with nearly every aspect of daily hygiene, including bathing, brushing teeth, washing and drying their face and hands, combing hair, cutting nails, and shaving, because of dementia, impaired balance, and fatigue. The plan specified that staff should provide a sponge bath when a full shower could not be tolerated.
Whether that happened during those eight undocumented weeks is unknown. The records don't say, because there are no records.
On September 18, at 2:30 in the afternoon, a facility representative identified as V1 told inspectors that Mercy Circle does not have a specific policy for activities of daily living or showers.
The facility's own job descriptions filled part of that gap, at least on paper. The certified nursing assistant job description listed bathing and grooming among the essential functions of the role. The registered nurse and licensed practical nurse job descriptions both listed supervising CNAs as a position responsibility. Inspectors noted all of this. The supervision, like the shower records, left no trace for eight of the thirteen scheduled dates.
The violation was cited under F0677, which covers basic personal hygiene and grooming. Inspectors assessed the level of harm as minimal harm or potential for actual harm, and noted that few residents were affected.
What the inspection report does not answer is what R1's skin looked like during those weeks, whether anyone checked, and whether R1's daughter, who was present on at least one of the documented refusal dates, had raised concerns before inspectors arrived. The complaint that triggered the investigation is not described in the citation.
What it does show is a resident who depended entirely on staff for basic hygiene, a schedule that existed on paper, and weeks in which that schedule produced no record of anything happening at all.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Mercy Circle from 2025-09-18 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
Data source: Official federal inspection data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Editorial process: AI-synthesized regulatory data, reviewed for accuracy by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: June 28, 2026 · Our methodology
MERCY CIRCLE in CHICAGO, IL was cited for neglect violations during a health inspection on September 18, 2025.
The resident, identified in inspection documents only as R1, was scheduled for showers every Sunday and Wednesday.
Health inspections identify deficiencies that facilities must correct. Violations range from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the full report below for specific details and facility response.