Three Nursing Homes Fined Following Lapses In Care

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Three nursing homes have been fined by the state Department of Public Health (DPH) for violations that occurred in 2017 and last year.

Long Ridge Post-Acute Care in Stamford was fined $3,270 after a resident was found lying on the floor multiple times.

The care plan for the resident, who had Alzheimer’s disease and anxiety, directed that the resident be kept in front of the nurse’s station when out of bed. According to the citation, the resident was found on the floor multiple times in 2017: June 23, June 27, July 4, Aug. 9 and Aug. 15. After some of those instances, documentation failed to show staff implemented physician-ordered interventions, such as trying a seatbelt.

On Sept. 15, 2017, the resident found was lying on a bathroom floor, bleeding and complaining of head pain. According to DPH, the resident suffered a facial skin tear and a head laceration, and was taken to a hospital for evaluation.

An investigation found a nurse aide had brought the resident into the resident’s room and then left to assist another resident. When the nurse aide returned to the first resident’s room, the resident was on the bathroom floor, according to DPH. The nurse aide failed to provide appropriate supervision in accordance with the resident’s care plan, and staff were re-educated as a result.

An administrator at the facility declined to comment.

Twin Maples Health Care Facility in Durham was fined $3,060 after a resident with dementia had six altercations with other residents.

The resident shoved another resident to the ground on Nov. 27, 2017, shoved the same resident again on Nov. 28, and pushed the same resident into a door frame on March 10, 2018. In the last case, the resident who was pushed received staples for a head laceration at a local hospital, the citation said. Three other incidents involved pushing, pinching and slapping other residents.

While staff made some medication changes and sent the resident to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation following some of the incidents, an investigation found no new behavioral interventions were documented or tried after three of the six assaults, according to the citation.

“It was unfortunate that a resident of the facility, who did have a medication condition which affected their judgment and memory, did push another resident,” said administrator Amy Bentley, adding that recently revised regulations define such instances as abuse even if the resident didn’t intend to cause harm. “We put into place multiple interventions during this time to prevent any further actions from occurring. It can be very difficult and/or impossible to predict what an individual may do, especially if that individual is confused or compromised in some way. Twin Maples has and always will strive to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all our residents and we will continue to grow and learn from prior occurrences.”

New London Sub-Acute and Nursing in Waterford was fined $3,060 after a resident hit another resident in the face on Sept. 21, 2018. According to DPH, the resident who did the hitting had just been readmitted to the facility about an hour prior, following a psychiatric admission related to an altercation with another resident.

An investigation found that the resident who did the hitting had been placed on every-fifteen-minute checks by staff after being readmitted, but staff failed to protect the other resident from physical abuse. The resident suffered a bruised and swollen left cheek, according to DPH.

Officials at the facility didn’t return a call seeking comment.

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