
Vestal Park Rehabilitation and Nursing Center has received 17 citations for being in violation of public health code between 2018 and 2021 after a total of 6 inspections and state inspectors found multiple deficiencies within the facility.
Vestal Park Rehabilitation and Nursing Center received 17 citations for violations of public health code between 2018 and 2021, according to New York State Department of Health records accessed on May 20, 2022. The Vestal nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of six inspections by state surveyors. The violations they describe include the following:
1. The nursing home did not adequately protect residents from accidents. Section 483.25 of the Federal Code mandates that nursing homes must ensure residents receive adequate supervision to prevent accidents. A November 2020 citation found that Vestal Park Rehabilitation and Nursing Center failed to ensure such. The citation specifically describes an instance in which a resident “had a choking episode on a whole Brussels sprout and subsequently expired.” In an interview, a Licensed Practical Nurse remarked that the resident “was known to put too much food in their mouth and unit staff were aware the resident needed their food cut up,” adding that when they checked the resident after the incident, “their mouth was full and the items on the tray were barely cut and the Brussels sprouts were whole.” A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the education of nursing staff.