Rego Park Nursing Home Cite for Falls, Infection

Rego Park Nursing Home has received 42 citations for violations of public health code between 2018 and 2021, according to New York State Department of Health records accessed on March 4, 2022. The Flushing nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of 10 surveys by state inspectors. The deficiencies they describe include the following:

1. The nursing home did not implement adequate accident-prevention measures. Under Section 483.25 of the Federal Code, nursing homes must provide residents with adequate supervision to prevent them from sustaining accidents. An April 2021 citation found that Rego Park Nursing Home failed to ensure such. The citation specifically describes “a resident identified as high risk for fall/injury, with severely impaired cognition,” who suffered a fall while “trying to use” their bathroom. A nursing note documenting the fall stated that the resident had wanted to go to their bathroom, but “forgot to use the call bell for help.” They then fell and hit their head, after which they were taken to the hospital and then returned to the nursing home. “The resident had another fall attempting to use the bathroom” after that incident, according to the citation, which goes on to note that “there was no documented evidence” the resident’s care plan for falls was updated or reviewed to determine the effectiveness of existing interventions. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the updating of the resident’s care plan for falls.
2. The nursing home did not take adequate measures to prevent infection. Section 483.80 of the Federal Code requires nursing homes to establish and maintain a program to prevent and control infection and disease. An April 2021 citation found that Rego Park Nursing Home failed to ensure such. The citation specifically describes an instance in which a nurse administered eyedrop medication without wearing gloves; an instance in which a resident’s oxygen tubing “was observed on the floor”; and an instance in which staff assisted several residents “without performing hand hygiene between residents or after touching dirty items during the dining preparation and service.” A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the education of facility staff about various infection control procedures.
3. Rego Park Nursing Home was also cited for a failure to ensure adequate infection control measures in an October 2019 citation. According to state inspectors, nurses used improper hand hygiene technique while administering medication; a nurse and a certified nursing staff entered the room of a resident on contact precautions “without using personal protective equipment”; and those same staffers “observed performing multiple episodes of improper hand hygiene technique and potential cross contaminations” while completing wound treatment. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the in-servicing of all nursing staff on hand-washing technique, the use of PPE, and infection control practices.

Rego Park Nursing Home received 22 citations for violations of public health laws between 2015 and 2019, according to New York State Department of Health records accessed on December 12, 2019. The Flushing nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of five inspections by state authorities. The deficiencies they describe include the following:

1. The nursing home did not ensure residents were free from abuse. Section 483.12 of the Federal Code stipulates that nursing home residents have a right to freedom from abuse and neglect. An August 2019 citation found that Rego Park Nursing Home failed to protect a resident from abuse. The citation specifically found that a Certified Nursing Assistant was captured on video camera footage kicking a resident twice in the facility’s dining room, “once on the left leg and once on the left leg.” The resident was subsequently seen bleeding and transported to the local hospital, where the resident received “11 sutures on the left leg and 10 sutures on the right leg.” Following the incident, the Assistant was terminated from the facility, and arrested by local police.
2. The nursing home did not take adequate steps to investigate allegations of abuse. Section 483.12 of the Federal Code requires nursing homes to respond to allegations of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or mistreatment by providing evidence that alleged violations are investigated and that the results of investigations are reported to relevant authorities. An August 2018 citation found that Rego Park Nursing Home did not provide for the thorough investigation of a resident’s injury. The citation states specifically that a resident was found “with yellow-green discoloration underneath the eyes and bridge of the nose.” An investigation of the injury, according to the citation, omitted statements or interviews from staff who had worked with the resident in the days preceding the injury. The citation states further that “The statements that were obtained did not include any information regarding the person’s interactions with the resident, and the investigation did not address that the injury was resolving at the time it was identified and reported.” The findings concluded that these deficiencies had the “potential to cause more than minimal harm.”
3. The nursing home did not implement adequate infection prevention and control measures. Section 483.80 of the Federal Code requires nursing homes to “establish and maintain an infection prevention and control program designed to provide a safe, sanitary and comfortable environment.” An August 2018 citation found that the nursing home did not ensure adequate infection control practices. It was specifically found to have failed to put in place a Water Management Program designed to identify the risk of water-borne pathogens like Legionella. An inspector also observed “Multiple Oxygen tubing, nebulizer tubing, nebulizer masks, nebulizer mouth pieces, and suction tubes” touching the facility’s floor, in contravention of proper health practices.

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.