Autumn View Health Care Facility has received 18 citations over violations of public health code between 2016 and 2020, according to health records accessed on July 13, 2020. The Poughkeepsie nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of four surveys by state inspectors. The violations they describe include the following:
1. The nursing home did not employ adequate infection control procedures. Section 483.80 of the Federal Code mandates that nursing homes must establish and maintain infection prevention and control procedures so as to ensure residents a safe and comfortable environment. A July 2019 citation found that Autumn View Health Care Facility did not ensure such. The citation states specifically that while caring for a resident, a Certified Nursing Assistant “did not change gloves and wash hands after cleaning feces prior to washing another area on the resident.” The citation goes on to state that the CNA touched surfaces in the room with contaminated gloves. According to the citations, all of the above conduct was in contravention of facility infection prevention and control policy. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the disinfection of surfaces in the room and the counseling of the CNA.
2. The nursing home did not take adequate measures to protect residents from abuse. Section 483.12 of the Federal Code stipulates that nursing homes must ensure residents are free from abuse, including verbal abuse. A May 2018 citation found that Autumn View Health Care Facility did not ensure such for one resident. The citation states specifically that a Certified Nursing Assistant “verbally and mentally abused the resident and used an obscene gesture toward the resident.” According to the citation, another CNA witnessed the incident, but did not immediately report it to facility staff. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the counseling and disciplining of the offending CNA.
3. The nursing home did not employ adequate measures to prevent accidents. Section 483.25 of the Federal Code states that nursing homes must ensure resident environments remain “as free from accident hazards as is possible.” A December 2016 citation found that Autumn View Health Care Facility did not ensure such. The citation states specifically that four of five resident units at the facility “had an issue involving electric heaters in resident rooms with metal surfaces that were extremely hot to the touch and not shielded from resident access.” Three residents were affected by the deficiency, according to the citation, which goes on to describe baseboard heaters with hot surfaces that “were easily accessible to residents, families and staff and had no shielding from the metal.” The citation states that this deficiency had the “potential to cause more than minimal harm.” A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the lowering of heaters in the residents’ rooms, and the installation of covers over some of the heaters.
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.