Carmel Richmond Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center has suffered 58 fatalities due to Covid-19, according to state health records released on July 30, 2020. The nursing home has also received 7 citations for violations of public health code between 2016 and 2020, according to New York State Department of Health records accessed on July 31, 2020. One of those citations involves findings of infection control deficiencies. The Staten Island nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of three surveys by state inspectors. The deficiencies they describe include the following:
1. The nursing home did not properly prevent and control infection. Section 483.65 of the Federal Code requires nursing homes to maintain an infection control program designed to stave off the development and transmission of disease. An October 2016 citation found that Carmel Richmond Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center did not ensure such. The citation specifically describes a Certified Nursing Assistant neglecting to take off his gloves after providing incontinent care to a resident, and a Registered Nurse placing “soil linens on top of the resident overbed table.” As for the CNA, the citation states that he had provided the resident with perineal care “when it became evident that he would need more towels and linens,” removed and disposed of his gloves, and left the room; however, according to the citation, he “Did not wash his hands after removing his gloves and proceeded to remove clean linens from the linen room.” He also did not wash his hands with soap and water after providing care, according to the citation. In an interview, he told a health department surveyor “that he completed CNA training two months ago and was hired at the facility through an agency,” that he forgot to wash his hands. As for the RN, the citation states that she put the soil linens on the resident’s overbed table, and that she said in an interview “that she was aware that she should not have placed the soiled linen on top of the residents overbed table.”
2. The nursing home did not conduct accurate resident assessments. Section 483.20 of the Federal Code stipulates that nursing homes must conduct resident assessments that “accurately reflect the resident’s status.” An October 2019 citation found that Carmel Richmond Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center did not ensure such. The citation specifically describes a resident with no pressure ulcer during the assessment period who “was documented… as having an unhealed Stage 2 pressure ulcer.” In an interview, a Registered Nurse said that the resident had “no pressure ulcer at present but only skin redness on the left buttock.” A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the review and correction of the resident’s assessment.
3. The nursing home did not adequately install its sprinkler system. Under Section 101 of the Life Safety Code, nursing home facilities must be “protected throughout by an approved automatic sprinkler system” in accordance with safety standards. A March 2018 citation found that Carmel Richmond Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center did not ensure such. The citation states specifically that one of the stairwells at the facility “was not provided with adequate sprinkler coverage,” and that “sprinklers were lacking at the exit door landing of the stairwell going to the basement level.” A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the installation of a sprinkler head at the top of the stairwell landing.
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.
