Recently Elant at Newburgh, a New York nursing home facility, was cited for failing to identify and prevent the development of pressure ulcers (bedsore, decubitis ulcers) for those residents determined to be “at risk”, and failing to provide the necessary care and treatment for residents with pressure ulcers. Specifically, the facility failed to complete skin assessments and identify and treat open skin areas and pressure ulcers for ten residents out of a total sample of thirteen residents. This type of failure is indicative of a systemic failure on behalf of the facility operators and administration,
Under the New York (10 NYCRR §415.12(c)(1) and (c)(2)) and federal (42 CFR §483.25(c)(1) and (2)) law, nursing homes must ensure that based on the comprehensive assessment of a resident:
1) A resident who enters the facility without pressure sores does not develop pressure sores unless the individual’s clinical condition demonstrates that they were unavoidable (despite every reasonable effort to prevent them);
2) A resident having pressure sores received necessary treatment and services to promote healing, prevent infection and prevent new sores from developing.
Website Resources:
Elant at Newburgh, September 2, 2009 Department of Health and Human Services and CMS Survey.
Long-Term-Care Community Coalition Enforcement Report, 12/1/09-2/28/10.