Residents’ Absences, Injuries Result In Nursing Home Fines

The state Department of Public Health has fined six nursing homes more than $1,000 each for incidents that included residents leaving the homes unattended and falls that resulted in injuries. On July 18, Danbury Health Care Center was fined $1,300 in connection with a resident who left the home in a wheelchair and was bruised on the hand. The resident, who had dementia, was found 25 feet away. DPH found that the facility’s assessments of the risk of the resident trying to leave the facility were completed without the oversight of a registered nurse. The home was also cited in connection with a resident who was found outside smoking several times despite the home’s policy that active smokers are not admitted.

Nursing Home Resident With Swallowing Disorder Chokes To Death

A Danbury nursing home has been fined $1,040 by the state in connection with the death of a resident who choked on a meatball. The state Department of Public Health imposed the fine against the Danbury Health Care Center on March 12 after the January choking death. The state’s review found that medical and treatment records of the resident, who had cancer and a seizure disorder, failed to reflect that the resident was at risk for dysphagia – or difficulty swallowing. A diet order indicated the resident should receive a regular diet, with meat cut up, with thin liquids, state records show. On Jan.