
Report
TheVardellReport
Elevate Care North Branch
Skilled nursing facility and nursing facility
6840 West Touhy Avenue
Niles, IL 60714

TheVardellReport
Skilled nursing facility and nursing facility
6840 West Touhy Avenue
Niles, IL 60714
Life by Vardell Presents
The deeper story, beautifully organized. Available records, historical context, and questions worth asking.
This report is free. Vardell does not certify, grade or endorse; it shows what the record documents.
The Essentials
Across 14 inspections from December 2022 to July 2026, state surveyors documented 39 findings at Elevate Care North Branch; 39 have a recorded correction; CMS lists 3 enforcement actions in the window.
* Partial year, through October 1, 2026.
| Year | Inspections | Findings | Of which, actual harm (level G or above) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2024 | 5 | 11 | 3 |
| 2025 | 5 | 14 | 1 |
| 2026 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Chronology
Every inspection in the record window, newest first. A finding is a deficiency an inspector cited. CMS publishes what a complaint investigation cited, not what the complaint alleged.
1 finding
Source: Health inspection results, as published by CMS (Health Deficiencies and Inspection Dates, Provider Data Catalog)
1 finding
Source: Health inspection results, as published by CMS (Health Deficiencies and Inspection Dates, Provider Data Catalog)
1 finding
Source: Health inspection results, as published by CMS (Health Deficiencies and Inspection Dates, Provider Data Catalog)
1 finding
Source: Health inspection results, as published by CMS (Health Deficiencies and Inspection Dates, Provider Data Catalog)
10 findings
Source: Health inspection results, as published by CMS (Health Deficiencies and Inspection Dates, Provider Data Catalog)
1 finding
Source: Health inspection results, as published by CMS (Health Deficiencies and Inspection Dates, Provider Data Catalog)
1 finding
Source: Health inspection results, as published by CMS (Health Deficiencies and Inspection Dates, Provider Data Catalog)
1 finding
Source: Health inspection results, as published by CMS (Health Deficiencies and Inspection Dates, Provider Data Catalog)
1 finding
Source: Health inspection results, as published by CMS (Health Deficiencies and Inspection Dates, Provider Data Catalog)
2 findings
Source: Health inspection results, as published by CMS (Health Deficiencies and Inspection Dates, Provider Data Catalog)
5 findings
Enforcement Action
Civil money penalty, $150,301 imposed July 11, 2024. CMS publishes the fine, not whether it has been paid. CMS does not tie a penalty to a survey; listed with the standard health inspection of April 23, 2024, the nearest before the penalty date.
Enforcement Action
Civil money penalty, $12,220 imposed October 11, 2024. CMS publishes the fine, not whether it has been paid. CMS does not tie a penalty to a survey; listed with the standard health inspection of April 23, 2024, the nearest before the penalty date.
Source: Health inspection results, as published by CMS (Health Deficiencies and Inspection Dates, Provider Data Catalog)
2 findings
Source: Health inspection results, as published by CMS (Health Deficiencies and Inspection Dates, Provider Data Catalog)
2 findings
Source: Health inspection results, as published by CMS (Health Deficiencies and Inspection Dates, Provider Data Catalog)
10 findings
Enforcement Action
Civil money penalty, $12,519 imposed March 3, 2024. CMS publishes the fine, not whether it has been paid. CMS does not tie a penalty to a survey; listed with the standard health inspection of December 1, 2022, the nearest before the penalty date.
Source: Health inspection results, as published by CMS (Health Deficiencies and Inspection Dates, Provider Data Catalog)
Severity levels follow the CMS scope and severity grid. A–C: potential for minimal harm. D–F: no actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm. G–I: actual harm. J–L: immediate jeopardy.
Context
A repeated citation can merit attention, but context and corrective action must be reviewed before drawing a conclusion.
Inspectors cited F689 in March 2024, August 2024 and October 2025. This citation covers whether residents are protected from accident hazards and supervised closely enough to prevent accidents, including falls. The most serious of these was recorded at level G (actual harm). Each citation has a recorded correction, and a repeat after correction is worth a direct question.
Inspectors cited F761 in December 2022, April 2024 and April 2025. This citation covers how drugs are labeled and kept locked, including controlled drugs. None rose above level E (no actual harm, potential for more). Each citation has a recorded correction, and a repeat after correction is worth a direct question.
Inspectors cited F550 in April 2024 and April 2025. This citation covers residents’ right to dignity, to make their own choices and to communicate. None rose above level D (no actual harm, potential for more). Each citation has a recorded correction, and a repeat after correction is worth a direct question.
Inspectors cited F558 in December 2022 and April 2025. This citation covers whether the home reasonably accommodates each resident’s needs and preferences. None rose above level D (no actual harm, potential for more). Each citation has a recorded correction, and a repeat after correction is worth a direct question.
Inspectors cited F580 in March 2024 and July 2024. This citation covers whether the resident, their doctor and a family member are told promptly about an injury, a decline or another significant change. None rose above level D (no actual harm, potential for more). Each citation has a recorded correction, and a repeat after correction is worth a direct question.
Inspectors cited F600 in January 2026 and July 2026. This citation covers whether residents are protected from abuse and neglect by anyone. None rose above level D (no actual harm, potential for more). Each citation has a recorded correction, and a repeat after correction is worth a direct question.
Inspectors cited F677 in March 2025 and April 2025. This citation covers help with bathing, dressing, eating and toileting for residents who cannot manage alone. None rose above level D (no actual harm, potential for more). Each citation has a recorded correction, and a repeat after correction is worth a direct question.
Inspectors cited F684 in July 2024 and April 2025. This citation covers whether residents receive the treatment their orders, preferences and goals call for. The most serious of these was recorded at level J (immediate jeopardy). Each citation has a recorded correction, and a repeat after correction is worth a direct question.
Inspectors cited F760 in December 2023 and October 2024. This citation covers whether residents are free from significant medication errors. The most serious of these was recorded at level G (actual harm). Each citation has a recorded correction, and a repeat after correction is worth a direct question.
Inspectors cited F812 in December 2022 and April 2025. This citation covers how food is stored, prepared and served. None rose above level F (no actual harm, potential for more). Each citation has a recorded correction, and a repeat after correction is worth a direct question.
Inspectors cited F880 in April 2024 and April 2025. This citation covers hand hygiene, isolation practice and the home’s infection-prevention program. None rose above level E (no actual harm, potential for more). Each citation has a recorded correction, and a repeat after correction is worth a direct question.
For Your Next Visit
Bring these to the tour. Each one comes from something in the record; the reason is under the question.
What changed in fall prevention and supervision after the last citation, and how do you check that it is still working?
Accident Hazards and Supervision: cited in three inspections, most seriously at level G.
How are medications stored and secured, and who checks the medication carts?
Medication Labeling and Storage: cited in three inspections, most seriously at level E.
How do staff learn each resident’s preferences, and how is a complaint about dignity handled?
Dignity and Resident Rights: cited in two inspections, most seriously at level D.
How do you adjust rooms, schedules and routines to a resident’s needs and preferences?
Needs and Preferences: cited in two inspections, most seriously at level D.
How quickly will we hear about a fall, an injury or a change in condition, and from whom?
Telling Families About Changes: cited in two inspections, most seriously at level D.
What happened after the abuse or neglect citation, and what changed in training or supervision?
Protection From Abuse and Neglect: cited in two inspections, most seriously at level D.
How long do residents usually wait for help with bathing, dressing or the bathroom, and how is that tracked?
Help With Daily Living: cited in two inspections, most seriously at level D.
How do nurses make sure a doctor’s orders are carried out, and how are families told when something is missed?
Quality of Care: cited in two inspections, most seriously at level J.
What happened after the medication error citation, and how are high-risk drugs double-checked?
Significant Medication Errors: cited in two inspections, most seriously at level G.
May we see the kitchen, and what do your own sanitation checks look like week to week?
Kitchen and Food Safety: cited in two inspections, most seriously at level F.
Who leads infection control here, and how often are hand-hygiene and isolation practices audited?
Infection Control: cited in two inspections, most seriously at level E.
How many nurses and aides are on each shift, including nights and weekends, for the unit we are considering?
Insufficient nursing staff was cited in December 2023.
What led to the 2024 fine, and has it been paid?
A $12,220 civil money penalty was imposed October 11, 2024. CMS publishes the fine, not whether it has been paid. The record holds three enforcement actions in the window.
The Evidence
Inspection results and penalties are published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services from surveys conducted by the Illinois state survey agency.
Illinois state survey agency
Inspection Dec 1, 2022 · Published Oct 1, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
Illinois state survey agency
Inspection Dec 7, 2023 · Published Oct 1, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
Illinois state survey agency
Inspection Mar 3, 2024 · Published Oct 1, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
Illinois state survey agency
Inspection Apr 23, 2024 · Published Oct 1, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
Illinois state survey agency
Inspection Jul 11, 2024 · Published Oct 1, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
Illinois state survey agency
Inspection Aug 5, 2024 · Published Oct 1, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
Illinois state survey agency
Inspection Oct 11, 2024 · Published Oct 1, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
Illinois state survey agency
Inspection Feb 13, 2025 · Published Oct 1, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
Illinois state survey agency
Inspection Mar 2, 2025 · Published Oct 1, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
Illinois state survey agency
Inspection Apr 18, 2025 · Published Oct 1, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
Illinois state survey agency
Inspection Sep 23, 2025 · Published Oct 1, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
Illinois state survey agency
Inspection Oct 14, 2025 · Published Oct 1, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
Illinois state survey agency
Inspection Jan 8, 2026 · Published Oct 1, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
Illinois state survey agency
Inspection Jul 24, 2026 · Published Oct 1, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Published Oct 1, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · 145630
Published Oct 1, 2026 · Retrieved Nov 1, 2026
Record windowDecember 1, 2022 – October 1, 2026
Historical coverage varies by agency and location. Missing records do not mean that no complaint or violation occurred.
Data architecture: Cierto supplies the source-backed machine-readable bundle. Life by Vardell independently creates the narrative, design, and consumer report.