Buffalo Community Healthcare Center has received 82 citations for violations of public health code between 2017 and 2021, according to New York State Department of Health records accessed on October 1, 2021. The facility has also received four fines totaling $26,000 since 2017. The Buffalo nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of 10 inspections by state surveyors. The deficiencies they describe include the following:
1. The nursing home did not take adequate steps to care for pressure ulcers. Section 483.25 of the Federal Code requires nursing homes to provide a consistent, professional level of care to prevent residents from developing avoidable pressure ulcers and to promote the healing of existing pressure ulcers. An April 2021 citation found that Buffalo Community Healthcare Center failed to ensure such. The citation states specifically that the nursing facility did not provide consistent weekly pressure ulcer assessments by a qualified person for one resident, and did not accurately document Treatment Administration Records. In an interview, a Registered Nurse said that the because the resident’s pressure ulcers were not treated as ordered or documented properly, the resident’s wounds “had the potential to get worse and because of the drainage, the wounds could get infected.” A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the education of nursing staff.
2. The nursing home did not take adequate steps to prevent accidents. Under Section 483.25 of the Federal Code, nursing homes must provide residents with an environment free of accident hazards and with adequate supervision to prevent accidents. A March 2020 citation found that Buffalo Community Healthcare Center failed to ensure such. The citation states specifically that the nursing home “did not provide adequate supervision to prevent the resident from eloping from the facility without staff’s knowledge.” As a result, a resident was able to exit the facility through its front lobby door at 10:07pm one evening and was not discovered missing until 11:07pm. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the placement of the resident on one-to-one supervision and the education of Licensed Nursing Staff.
3. The nursing home did not adequately prevent medication errors. Section 483.45 of the Federal Code ensures nursing home residents the right to be “free of any significant medication errors.” A January 2019 citation found that Buffalo Community Healthcare Center failed to ensure such. The citation states specifically that one resident did not receive six different medications ordered by their physician “due to lack of pharmacy notification per facility policy of the readmission medication orders.” A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included a review of the resident’s medical records and the establishment of a procedure to ensure the pharmacy receives medication orders.
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.
