COVID-19

July 10, 2020

Townhouse Center for Rehabilitation & Nursing: Infection Citation, COVID Deaths

by Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC

Townhouse Center for Rehabilitation & Nursing suffered 10 fatalities from Covid-19 as of June 29, 2020, per state records. The nursing home also received 29 citations finding it violated public health code between 2016 and 2020, according to health records accessed on June 29, 2020, including one citation over its infection prevention practices. The facility has also received fines totaling $32,000 over findings that it breached provisions of the health code. The Flushing nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of 10 surveys by state inspectors. The violations they describe include the following:

1. The nursing home did not employ adequate infection prevention measures. Section 483.65 of the Federal Code requires nursing homes to maintain an infection control program that helps mitigate the spread of disease. A July 2016 citation found that Townhouse Center for Rehabilitation & Nursing failed to ensure such. The citation states specifically that a Registered Nurse did not conduct proper hand hygiene between cleaning a resident’s pressure ulcer and applying a clean dressing to the wound. According to the citation, an inspector observed the RN cleansing the wound with gauze, disposing of the gauze, removing her gloves, and putting on new gloves without first washing her hands or applying sanitizing gel. In an interview, the RN said “she realized she should have cleansed her hands after removing her gloves and prior to donning another pair of gloves.” A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the educational counseling of relevant staff.

July 9, 2020

St. John’s Health Care Corporation: 21 COVID Fatalities, Infection Control Citation

by Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC

St. John’s Health Care Corporation suffered 20 fatalities from Covid-19 as of June 29, 2020, per state records. The nursing home also received 56 citations finding it violated public health code between 2016 and 2020, according to health records accessed on June 30, 2020, including two citations that dealt with infection control deficiencies. The facility has also received fines totaling $20,000 over findings that it violated health code provisions regarding quality of care. The Rochester nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of nine surveys by state inspectors. The violations they describe include the following:

1. The nursing home did not take effective measures to prevent infection. Under Section 483.80 of the Federal Code, nursing homes are required to create and maintain an infection prevention and control program that helps ensure a safe and sanitary environment for residents. A November 2017 citation found that St. John’s Health Care Corporation did not ensure such for one resident. The citation states specifically that after providing incontinence care for the resident, a Certified Nursing Assistant “removed the black booties and socks from the resident’s feet, then dumped out water” without first removing his gloves. The CNA was then observed applying a cream to the resident’s rectal area, then, without first removing his gloves or washing his hands, rolling the resident on his back and applying the cream to the resident’s perineal creases, applying Attends, pulling up the resident’s pants, applying socks and booties, and emptying the resident’s wash bin. In an interview, the CNA said that he should have changed his gloves and washed his hands at certain points during the provision of care.

July 8, 2020

Cold Spring Hills Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation: COVID-19 Deaths

by Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC

Cold Spring Hills Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation suffered 15 fatalities from Covid-19 as of June 29, 2020, per state records, though a New York Post report suggests that number is significantly undercounted. The nursing home also received 56 citations finding it violated public health code between 2016 and 2020, according to health records accessed on June 30, 2020; one such citation concerned infection control procedures. The facility has also received fines totaling $24,000 after findings that it violated health code provisions concerning quality of care, staff mistreatment of residents, and accidents. The Woodbury nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of 1 surveys by state inspectors. The violations they describe include the following:

1. The nursing home did not maintain an adequate infection prevention and control program. Section 483.80 of the Federal Code stipulates that nursing homes must “establish and maintain an infection prevention and control program” in order to provide residents with a safe and sanitary environment. An October 2018 citation found that Cold Spring Hills Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation failed to ensure such. The citation states specifically that infection control protocols were broken during a resident’s pressure ulcer wound change: a Registered Nurse was observed cleansing the wound without changing her gloves and washing her hands in between certain procedures to prevent contamination. In two separate instances, an inspector also observed a resident with their Foley Catheter collection bag resting on the facility’s floor, in contravention of infection control protocols. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the counseling of relevant staff.

July 7, 2020

Dry Harbor Nursing Home: Infection Citation, COVID Deaths

by Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC

Dry Harbor Nursing Home suffered 13 fatalities from Covid-19 as of June 29, 2020, state records report. The nursing home also received 18 citations over violations of public health code between 2016 and 2020, according to health records accessed on June 29, 2020. One of these citations found that the nursing home’s infection control procedures fell short. The Middle Village nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of 2 surveys by state inspectors. The violations they describe include the following:

1. The nursing home did not employ adequate measures to prevent and control infection. Section 483.80 of the Federal Code requires nursing homes to create and maintain an infection prevention and control program designed to mitigate the development and spread of disease. A January 2019 citation found that Dry Harbor Nursing Home failed to ensure such. The citation states specifically that one of the facility’s Licensed Practical Nurses did not change a resident’s brief following a wound care treatment. The citation states further that the LPN did not properly apply treatment cream to the resident’s wound site. In an interview, the LPN acknowledged that he should have applied the cream differently, and that the use of a clean diaper “would have been better in keeping with infection control practices.”

July 6, 2020

The Valley View Center: 3 Infection Citations, 34 COVID Deaths

by Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC

The Valley View Center for Nursing Care and Rehabilitation suffered 34 fatalities from Covid-19 as of June 29, 2020, state records report. The nursing home also received 43 citations over violations of public health code between 2016 and 2020, according to health records accessed on June 29, 2020. Three of these citations found deficient infection control practices. The Goshen nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of five surveys by state inspectors. The violations they describe include the following:

1. The nursing home did not employ adequate measures to prevent infection. Under Section 483.80 of the Federal Code, nursing homes must endeavor to prevent and control the development and spread of disease by creating an infection prevention and control program. A September 2017 citation found that The Valley View Center for Nursing Care and Rehabilitation did not ensure such. The citation states specifically that both Certified Nursing Assistants and a Licensed Practical Nurse were observed failing to perform proper hand hygiene. In one instance, two CNAs were observed cleaning residents’ hands during a lunch meal without performing hand hygiene after the procedure, before they served the residents’ lunch. In an interview, the CNAs said they should have changed their gloves and washed their hands in between each resident and before they served the residents’ meals. In a separate instance, an LPN was observed placing a medication capsule into a cup during a medication pass; when the capsule fell onto the cart, the LPN “picked it up with her bare hands and placed it in the cup with the other medications” before administering them all to the resident. In an interview, the LPN said she should have discarded the medication and administered a new one.

July 5, 2020

COVID’s Nursing Home Death Toll May Be Worse Than Reports; Congressman Calls For Fed Oversight

by Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC

The coronavirus death toll in New York nursing homes may be much higher than the figures officially tallied by the state health department, according to a new report by WGRZ.

Whereas the state counts 6,349 nursing confirmed and presumed nursing home deaths in New York nursing homes, analyst Bill Hammond of the Empire Center “thinks there is reason to believe the death toll is higher.” According to Hammond, the state’s tally is “dubious,” and his research shows a sharp increase in nursing home bed vacancies. “After hovering around 8 percent” for a period of about two years, the rate “shot up over 20 percent” in April and May 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic raged throughout the state.

Hammond told WGRZ that this data indicates “a decline of about 13,000 residents,” or about 7,000 unaccounted for by the state health department’s official count of 6,349. Part of this decline can be attributed to fewer new admissions to nursing homes once it became public knowledge that many “were struggling with virus containment,” according to Hammond. When asked to estimate what a more accurate nursing home fatality count might be, he told WGRZ: “It looks like 40 percent of the nursing home patients who died are dying in hospitals. If you extrapolate from that the actual count of nursing home deaths would get that much bigger. My ballpark would be in the neighborhood of 10,000.”

June 30, 2020

Golden Gate Rehabilitation & Health Care Center: Covid Deaths, Infection Citations

by Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC

Golden Gate Rehabilitation & Health Care Center experienced 12 deaths from Covid-19 as of June 8, 2020, per state records. The nursing home also received 18 citations for violations of public health code between 2016 and 2020, including two for infection control deficiencies, according to health records accessed on June 9, 2020. The Staten Island nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of three surveys by state inspectors. The violations they describe include the following:

1. The nursing home did not employ adequate measures to prevent infection. Section 483.80 of the Federal Code stipulates that nursing home facilities must maintain an infection control program designed to help mitigate the transmission of disease. A June 2019 citation found that Golden Gate Rehabilitation & Health Care Center failed to ensure such. The citation states specifically that a resident was observed with nasal cannula touching the floor, and that a Certified Nursing Assistant was observed physically caring for residents and touching the lid of a garbage can without washing their hands in between. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the replacement of the tubing and in-servicing of nursing staff on infection control practices.

June 29, 2020

Susquehanna Nursing & Rehabilitation Center: 15 Covid Deaths, 2 Infection Citations

by Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC

Susquehanna Nursing & Rehabilitation Center suffered 15 deaths from Covid-19 as of June 8, 2020, per state records. The nursing home also received 29 citations for violations of public health code between 2016 and 2020, including two concerning findings of infection prevention code violations, according to health records accessed on June 9, 2020. The Johnson City nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of five surveys by state inspectors. The violations they describe include the following:

1. The nursing home did not adequately implement and infection prevention and control program. Section 483.80 of the Federal Code stipulates that nursing homes must establish and maintain an IPCP that is “designed to provide a safe, sanitary and comfortable environment” and to help stave off the development of communicable infections and diseases. A July 2018 citation found that Susquehanna Nursing & Rehabilitation Center did not ensure such for two residents. The citation states specifically that there were no signs on the residents’ doors indicating that they were on contact precautions, and that staff were observed providing care to the rooms in question without wearing appropriate personal protective equipment or conducting proper hand hygiene. In an interview, a Registered Nurse Unit Manager stated that she did not know one of the residents had no sign on his door, and that anyone entering the room was expected to don PPE. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the re-education of direct care staff.

June 28, 2020

Vestal Park Rehabilitation and Nursing Center: Infection Citations, COVID Fatalities

by Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC

Vestal Park Rehabilitation and Nursing Center suffered 7 deaths from Covid-19 as of June 8, 2020, per state records. The nursing home also received 38 citations for violations of public health code between 2016 and 2020, two of which concerned infection prevention protocols, according to health records accessed on June 9, 2020. The Vestal nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of four surveys by state inspectors. The violations they describe include the following:

1. The nursing home did not maintain an infection prevention and control program. Section 483.80 of the Federal Code requires nursing homes to establish and maintain an IPCP that helps prevent the transmission of diseases and infections. A March 2018 citation found that Vestal Park did not ensure such. The citation states specifically that a resident was observed with her catheter bag “lying directly on the floor through 4 days of the survey process.” In an interview, a Certified Nursing Assistant said that the catheter bag “was to be covered when out of her room,” and when in the room it was “positioned hanging from the bed and not touching the floor,” as touching the floor posed an infection control risk. One of the facility’s Licensed Practical Nurses stated in another interview that “the resident’s catheter bags were to be covered and not to touch the floor as that was a[n] infection control issue.” A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included a weekly audit of all residents with catheters and the re-education of nursing staff on infection control policies and procedures.

June 27, 2020

The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center: 23 COVID-19 Deaths

by Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC

The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center suffered 23 deaths from Covid-19 as of June 8, 2020, per state records. The nursing home also received 45 citations for violations of public health code between 2016 and 2020, according to health records accessed on June 9, 2020. One of those citations concerned findings of infection control deficiencies. The Albion nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of 13 surveys by state inspectors. The violations they describe include the following:

1. The nursing home did not take adequate infection prevention measures. Section 483.80 of the Federal Code requires nursing homes to maintain infection control programs that help prevent communicable diseases and infections. A November 2018 citation found that the facility did not establish and maintain such for its potable water system. The citation states specifically that “there was no sampling and management program or a risk assessment related to Legionella.” It goes on to state that while the facility had tested its cooling tower for the bacterium, there was no sampling of its potable water system. In an interview, the facility’s Director fo Maintenance said that they had reached out to a vendor who was “in the process of doing the water management and sampling plans.” The citation describes the scope of this deficiency as “widespread.”