In its latest inspection of Boro Park Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare, the Department of Health found that the facility was not free of accident hazards, as is mandated by CFR 483.25(h). Facilities must remain as free of these hazards as possible, and residents must be supervised and receive assistance devices to prevent accidents from occurring.
The DOH noted that hallways were missing pieces of tile in certain areas. In one area, the missing tile was large enough to cause the possibility of catching a heel or toe, creating an obvious fall hazard. Management blamed the missing tile on a water leak from several weeks prior to observation, and informed the DOH that the facility was in the process of renovations.
A missing tile in the floor, if unnoticed, creates a tripping hazard for just about anyone. This risk is amplified when considering the manner in which an elderly, geriatric resident of a nursing home moves about. Common sense would dictate that an elderly individual, taking smaller strides and not lifting his or her feet very high off the ground, would be more prone to catching a toe on the hazardous area. The use of a walker or a cane simply adds to the possibility of getting something caught in the indent, potentially leading to a fall. And as we have discussed previously, falls can be disastrous for elderly nursing home patients.
The facility asserted that it would fix the tile immediately following the inspection, as it had by then sufficiently dried out subsequent to the water leak. To read of other violations noted in this report, regarding food preparation and distribution, and providing necessary care for the highest practicable well-being, visit the Department of Health website here.
