Articles Posted in Infection

Pelham Parkway Nursing Care and Rehabilitation Facility received 25 citations for violations of public health laws between 2017 and 2021, according to New York State Department of Health records accessed on March 26, 2021. The Bronx nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of five inspections by state surveyors. The deficiencies they describe include the following:

The New York Department of Health also cited the Bronx nursing home for failing to supervise a resident who left the facility undetected.

1. The nursing home did not adequately protect residents from sexual abuse. Section 483.12 of the Federal Code grants nursing home residents “the right to be free from abuse.” A December 2019 citation found that Pelham Parkway Nursing Care failed to ensure such. The citation states specifically that when “multiple facility staff suspected” that a resident “was sexually abusing his roommate… and reported it to the supervisors,” the supervisors in question failed to investigate the allegation or report it to the nursing home’s Director of Nursing. As such, the resident and his roommate “were not separated and continued to be roommates.” Records showed that in an interview, the resident “stated that he had performed an inappropriate sex act” and that “it was only once that he forced himself and sexually assaulted” his roommate, after which the two residents remained “in the same room for months.” The citation states that the Unit Supervisor told the resident “it was inappropriate to touch another resident without consent” but did not separate the residents or inform the Director of Nursing, believing the facility’s night supervisor “would do something about the allegation,” although he “did not discuss the incident with the night supervisor.” A plan of correction taken by the facility included the separation of the residents and the in-servicing of staff.

The Albion, New York nursing home received 68 health and safety code citations between 2017 and 2021.

The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center has received received 68 citations for violations of public health code between 2017 and 2021, according to health records accessed on March 12, 2021, as well as two fines totaling $30,000 between 2018 and 2020. The Albion nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of 17 surveys by state inspectors. The violations they describe include the following:

1. The nursing home did not adequately protect residents from abuse. Under Section 483.12 of the Federal Code, nursing home residents have the right “to be free from abuse.” An August 2020 citation found that The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center failed to uphold this right for two residents. The citation states specifically that two residents “were observed engaged in sexual activity and per the physician lacked the cognitive ability to consent.” The citation goes on to state that the facility did not evaluate the residents in question after the incident in question to determine their capacity to consent to sexual activity. The facility’s Director of Nursing stated in an interview that the facility had no specific policy or procedure to determine such. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the transfer of one resident to a different unit and the discharge of the other resident.