(914) 220-1086Bridge View Nursing Home received 38 citations for violations of public health laws between 2015 and 2019, according to New York State Department of Health records accessed on January 9, 2020. The facility also received a 2017 fine of $16,000 in connection to findings in an April 2016 survey that it violated health code provisions regarding unnecessary drugs, physician supervision, quality of care, and treatment of residents. The Whitestone nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of seven surveys by state inspectors. The deficiencies they describe include the following:
1. The nursing home did not adequately protect residents from abuse. Section 483.12 of the Federal Code requires nursing homes to ensure each resident’s “right to be free from abuse, neglect, misappropriation of resident property, and exploitation.” A December 2018 citation found that the nursing home did not ensure one resident was free from physical abuse. The citation found specifically that one of the facility’s Licensed Practical Nurses observed a Certified Nursing Assistant slap a resident’s face and then punch the resident in the head, while other residents were present, in the facility’s dining area. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the removal from duty of the CNA in question.
2. The nursing home did not ensure residents’ drug regimens were free from unnecessary drugs. According to Section 483.25 of the Federal Codes, resident drug regimens are required to “be free from unnecessary drugs.” An April 2016 citation found that the nursing home did not adequately monitor resident drug regimens to prevent the use of unnecessary drugs. The citation specifically found that the facility did not complete blood testing for a resident to determine whether their anticoagulant therapy was effective. The citation states that as a result of this deficiency, the resident had to be admitted to acute care in the hospital and receive a blood transfusion. The citation notes that this deficiency resulted in “actual harm” to the resident.
3. The nursing home did not protect residents from mistreatment, neglect, and/or misappropriation. According to Section 483.13 of the Federal Code, nursing home facilities “must develop and implement written policies and procedures that prohibit mistreatment, neglect, and abuse of residents and misappropriation of resident property.” An April 2016 citation found that with respect to the resident whose anticoagulant medication was not properly monitored, the nursing home did not adequately prevent the resident from mistreatment or neglect. In an interview, a Licensed Practical Nurse stated that “she did not check the Laboratory Book to see if the requisitions were in place” and further that she “did not question nor investigate the resident’s PT/INR results because there were no results coming out from the computer.” According to a Registered Nurse Supervisor, “the admitting nurse should have printed the laboratory requisitions for 1/25/2016 and 1/28/2016 and put them in the laboratory book.” The citation notes that these deficiencies resulted in “actual harm.”
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.
