Triboro Center for Nursing and Rehab received 37 citations for violations of public health laws between 2015 and 2019, according to New York State Department of Health records accessed on December 7, 2019. The facility was also the subject of a 2010 fine of $6,000 in connection to findings regarding pressure sores and the quality of care provided to presidents. The Bronx nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of three inspections by state authorities. The violations they describe include the following:
1. The nursing home did not adequately implement accident prevention protocols. Section 483.25 of the Federal Code stipulates that nursing home residents’ environment must remain “as free of accident hazards as is possible; and each resident receives adequate supervision and assistance devices to prevent accidents.” A June 2016 citation found that the nursing home failed to protect residents from accident hazards. An inspector specifically found that one resident’s furniture had “sharp screws and splintered wood”; that bleach was present in another resident’s bathroom; and that a resident sustained a fall resulting from clothing that was too large. The citation described this deficiency as resulting in “potential to cause more than minimal harm.”
2. The nursing home did not properly store and label drugs and biologicals. Section 483.45 of the Federal Code states that nursing homes must label drugs and biologicals “in accordance with currently accepted professional principles, and include the appropriate accessory and cautionary instructions, and the expiration date.” A 2016 citation found that the nursing home failed to properly label and dispose of drugs and biologicals after they were expired. An inspector specifically observed a refrigerator with an open vial of a certain drug; and an open and undated vial of another drug. The citation noted that the drug manufacturer’s recommendation stated that if the drug “has been opened and in use for 1 month,” it “should be discarded because oxidation and degradation may have reduced the potency.” The citation describes this deficiency as resulting in the “potential to cause more than minimal harm.”
3. The nursing home did not adequately implement infection and control protocols. Section 483.80 of the Federal Code requires nursing homes to “establish and maintain an infection prevention and control program” that provides environments with a safe and sanitary environment. A September 2017 citation found that the nursing home failed to ensure the maintenance of infection control practices. An inspector observed specifically that facility staff allowed a resident’s oxygen tubing to lie on the floor of the resident’s room. According to the citation, a nurse present at the time of the observation “did not address the tubing lying on the floor,” and then several days later put on gloves, picked up the tubing, and draped it “over the side rail of the resident’s bed.” The facility’s Director of Nursing told an inspector that “the oxygen tubing should have been changed immediately when it was noted to be on the floor.”
The attorneys at the Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC work diligently to protect the rights of nursing home residents. Please contact us to discuss in the event you have a potential case involving neglect or abuse.