Fines & Sanctions

Five Nursing Homes Fined Following Injuries To Residents

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Five nursing homes have been fined by the state Department of Public Health (DPH) in connection with incidents that left residents with burns, bruises and broken legs. On April 16, Orange Health Care Center was fined $1,090 in connection with a resident who fell March 21 and broke a leg and ribs, the DPH citation states. The home issued a warning to an aide, saying the resident should not have been left alone on a toilet, the citation states. The fine was also imposed in connection with a resident with a traumatic brain injury who was found in a wheelchair outside on the main road unattended on March 22, the citation states. The resident was not injured.

Fines & Sanctions

Eight Nursing Homes Fined, Following One Death, Care Lapses

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Eight Connecticut nursing homes have been fined by the state Department of Public Health in connection with one resident’s death and other incidents of rapid weight gain, cuts and broken bones among residents. On Nov. 7, Beacon Brook Health Center in Naugatuck was fined $2,180 in connection with a resident who died May 23 of cardiopulmonary arrest and a bowel obstruction, DPH records show. DPH found that the home’s medical records failed to reflect that an abdominal assessment was done on May 23 after the resident complained of nausea and a stomachache on May 22. Also, medical records did not indicate that a physician had seen the resident after May 21, and the home did not have a policy about abdominal assessments, DPH records show.

Fines & Sanctions

Four Nursing Homes Fined, One For Poor Supervision

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A West Hartford nursing home has been fined $1,160 in connection with a March incident in which one resident had a violent outburst after being accused of sexual assaulting another resident. The West Hartford Health & Rehabilitation Center was cited for a failure to supervise the accused resident during the outburst and not in connection with an alleged sexual assault, William Gerrish, state Department of Health spokesman, said Thursday. On Feb. 21, a resident of the center accused a roommate of sexual assault, the state’s May citation states. When the accused resident was told of the allegation that day, the person became enraged, shouted at the accuser to recant, then threw a TV at the accuser, the citation states.

Ann Spenard

High Use Of Antipsychotics In Nursing Homes Stirs Concerns, Reforms

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The Westside Care Center in Manchester is ranked among the best nursing homes in Connecticut, receiving a ‘five-star’ rating for overall quality under a federal rating system. At the same time, Westside has the state’s highest percentage of residents who receive antipsychotic drugs, even though they do not have a psychosis or related condition that regulators say warrants their use. Federal data shows 68 percent of Westside long-stay residents were receiving the drugs – more than double the state’s average of 26 percent, which already ranks in the top-third of states nationally. A C-HIT review of federal nursing home data from December found that Westside is not alone: High antipsychotic use, considered dangerous and unnecessary in many cases, does not impact quality ratings of nursing homes, and is often unknown to consumers selecting a home. In three-dozen Connecticut homes, at least a third of long-stay residents are on antipsychotics – yet nearly half of those homes have excellent overall ratings, of 4 to 5 stars.