Six nursing homes have been fined by the state Department of Public Health in connection with two residents who died and others who had numerous falls and broken bones.
Avon Health Center was fined $1,090 on Sept. 16, 2014 in connection with two residents who fell. On March 14, 2014, a resident fell out of a mechanical lift when a clip holding a sling broke. The person was hospitalized, found to have broken a bone at the base of the skull and died six days after the fall, the DPH citation states. After the incident, the staff was re-trained in the use of mechanical lifts.
The citation states that another resident broke a wrist during a fall March 25, 2014 and the home found that a nurse’s aide should not have left the person alone.
While the home disagrees with some of the state’s findings, it is barred from discussing the incidents by state and federal privacy laws, administrator Tina L. Richardson said.
“Avon Health Center, a five-star facility, is committed to providing quality care and services to all of our residents,” she said. “We regularly assess our practices, policies and procedures as part of our on-going effort to make improvements to the care we provide to all our residents.”
On Oct. 19, Countryside Manor of Bristol was fined $1,020 in connection with a resident’s death. The resident had been admitted in September following a pulmonary embolism and was placed on two anti-coagulant drugs.
The resident remained on both drugs until Oct. 3 when hospitalized for pain and multiple bruises. The resident was sent for emergency surgery and died Oct. 7. A doctor later said a nurse should have reported to the doctor Sept. 29 that the person was still on both drugs, the citation said.
Countryside’s administrator could not be reached for comment.
In two Sept. 19 citations, Watrous Nursing Center in Madison was fined $1,510 and $1,370 involving residents who fell multiple times.
DPH said one resident fell eight times between March 4 and May 12, when the person struck his or her head on a chair. The resident was medicated for pain and hospitalized May 22 and diagnosed with a broken neck bone, the DPH citation said. DPH said the home failed to notify a doctor about the neck pain for five days.
The home was also fined in connection with the same resident being hospitalized for acute kidney injury and dehydration. The home failed to monitor the resident’s bowel movements, DPH found.
The home was also cited in connection with a resident who broke the same hip twice and had 22 falls between March 12 and Aug. 10, DPH said.
In that case and the case of a resident who fell 34 times between Feb. 25 and July 10, DPH found that the home’s interventions to prevent falls were not effective. That resident broke a hand bone and had two head injuries due to falls, DPH said.
“As with all residents, individual care plans and associated interventions were in place and policies and procedure[s] regarding these interventions were reviewed with all staff,” said Ann Collette, a spokeswoman for Apple Rehab, which owns Watrous.
On Aug. 4, Cambridge Health and Rehabilitation Center in Fairfield was fined $1,090 in connection with a resident who sustained a cut that needed 11 stitches to close after being transferred from a wheelchair to a bed. The citation said a nurse’s aide failed to use protective legwear when moving the resident.
Cambridge Health’s administrator could not be reached for comment.
The Mary Wade Home in New Haven was fined $1,020 on Sept. 15 in connection with a resident whose pressure ulcer deteriorated to a deep tissue injury by July 15. The home’s records did not reflect that the staff had followed a wound specialist’s advice, DPH said.
Administrator Andrew Tarutis said the staff works hard to provide quality care for its 140 residents, adding that “corrective action and procedures were incorporated to address this isolated incident and prevent any future concerns. The Mary Wade Home strives for excellent clinical outcomes, consistent with our five-star rating by the federal government, and we are pleased to report that the resident involved has completely healed as a result of the care received.”
On March 27, Grove Manor Nursing Home in Waterbury was fined $220 in connection with a resident who left the home with a visitor Oct. 26, 2014, went to an apartment and rode back to the nursing home with the police. The DPH citation said the home failed to implement changes after the resident left the home without permission.
Grove Manor’s administrator could not be reached for comment.
My mom lived at Cambridge Health and Rehabilitation Center, Fairfield, CT for 3.5 years until her death from Alzheimers in 2013. During that time, mom received the best care. The CNA’s that took care of mom were the best, and I called them our angels. I was always informed of any changes in her meds, health or mood. The staff was very kind, compassionate and concerned about my mom and others in their care during this time period as I witnessed during my visits.