Two nursing homes have been fined by the state Department of Public Health in connection with verbal abuse of residents, pressure sores that were not monitored and the case of a resident who fell 15 times in four months.
On July 8, Greenwich Woods Health Care Center was fined $1,650 in connection with residents who developed pressure sores and the resident with Parkinson’s disease who fell 15 times between Jan. 5 and May 18.
The resident fell eight times from his or her wheelchair and four times in the dining room when meals were not being served, according to DPH’s citation. The home re-trained the staff about following the proper plan of care on April 29 and May 9.
On June 13, the resident had been found on the floor in the dining room and was bruised on the forehead and the resident’s personal alarm was not sounding at the time, the citation said. On June 16, the resident was noted to have a large bruise on the face that was “red, blue and green in color,’’ the citation said.
DPH found that nurses’ aides were given written counseling for leaving the resident without a staff member in the dining room and for failing to make sure the resident’s personal alarm was working.
Another resident deemed at risk for falls was found on the floor March 16. A nurse’s aide said he or she had looked away while the resident was using the toilet. The resident stood up and fell to the floor and received a cut that was sutured in a hospital emergency room, DPH’s citation said.
The aide was instructed that he or she must keep his or her eyes on residents at risk for falls at all times and to stay within arm’s length, the citation said.
Another resident at risk for falls slipped in the shower on June 19 but was not injured. DPH found that the home was unable to say whether it had a system to determine which residents required seat belts on shower chairs.
In the case of three residents who developed pressure sores, DPH found that the home had failed to document that it had assessed the wounds weekly or had properly monitored them. One wound got so bad that a tendon was exposed on the back of a resident’s knee, DPH found.
John Pasheluk, Greenwich Woods’ administrator, said the home did not agree with all of the state’s findings, including the number of falls, but is complying with all of DPH’s requirements.
“We’ve remedied any survey concerns the state had,’’ he said. “We are always updating and changing our policies.”
Abbott Terrace Health Center in Waterbury was fined $640 on July 8 in connection with one registered nurse who verbally abused residents and gave a resident with dementia a sleep aid without a doctor’s order, DPH’s citation said.
On April 25, it was alleged that a registered nurse had given the resident melatonin without a doctor’s order, the citation said. The nurse admitted doing so on March 26 because the resident was agitated and he or she felt the melatonin would “take the edge off” and keep the resident “calm,” the citation said.
The previous November, the same nurse was observed speaking to a resident in a loud voice, stating, “Stop that. What are you crazy?” when the resident was moving backward with a walker, the citation said. The action violated the home’s policy against verbal abuse of residents. The nurse was given a written warning and a two-day suspension, the citation said.
In December 2013, a licensed practical nurse reported that the same nurse had made an inappropriate remark about putting a resident in the medication room with the lights out for a “time out,” the citation said.
The nurse said it was a joke. The nurse’s personnel files failed to identify that any action was taken after the nurse admitted saying “settle down, or I’m going to put you in a time out.” The nurse continued to be employed at Abbott Terrace until he or she resigned on April 10, the citation said.
Andrew Steiner, the home’s administrator, could not be reached for comment.