Nursing Homes Cited For Infection-Control Violations

Nursing homes inspected for infection-control practices during the pandemic revealed deficiencies, including failure to separate COVID-positive residents from residents who do not have the virus, improper use or no use of personal protective equipment (PPE), failure to practice good hygiene and handwashing and the improper sanitation of equipment. One facility was cited for allowing an assistant director of nursing, who tested positive for COVID, to work for five days. Plans of correction were submitted by each home. None of the facilities were fined. The unannounced, in-person inspections resulted in enhanced staff training and additional deliveries of personal protective equipment (PPE), according to the Department of Public Health (DPH).

State Fines Six Nursing Homes Following Residents’ Deaths, Care Lapses

Six nursing homes have been fined for violations, including two incidents where residents died. The Reservoir in West Hartford was fined $3,000 after a resident died and investigators found staff did not administer CPR for the required period of time, according to the state Department of Public Health (DPH). The resident, who was at the facility for short-term rehabilitation, had difficulty breathing on Feb. 6, 2016. A licensed practical nurse (LPN) began performing CPR compressions but soon after, a registered nurse told the LPN to stop the compressions, according to DPH.

Nursing Homes Fined For Residents’ Deaths, Care Lapses

The state Department of Public Health has fined a dozen nursing homes in recent months for lapses in patient care, including the deaths of residents at homes in Bridgeport and Norwalk. Bridgeport Manor in Bridgeport was fined $1,440 in December for failing to provide a resident with psychiatric services and adequate supervision, DPH records show. The resident was frequently observed playing with privacy curtains at the home. On Nov. 27, 2012, the resident was found with a privacy curtain wrapped around the neck and upper body and died two days later.