Based on a January 18, Department of Health inspection, Eastchester Rehabilitation Center in Bronx, New York was cited for failing to prevent abuse. An 88 year-old resident suffered from dementia and hypertension. She exhibited signs of an impaired memory and impaired decision-making, and had a history of wandering into other resident’s rooms.
The Certified Nursing Assistant Accountability Records for the period at issue called for the resident to be monitored every half hour. However, no documentation of the half hour visual observation checks could be found in the nursing home chart. The nursing home’s care plan also called for the resident to be re-directed if observed wandering. After multiple instances of wandering into other resident’s rooms and one incident where the resident was struck by another resident, no new interventions were implemented by the nursing home staff.
A few months later, the resident was observed entering another resident’s room and then physically thrown back out of the room. The 88 year-old resident suffered a fractured right forearm as a result. The resident was transferred to the hospital and returned with a cast from the right upper arm extending through the forearm. In addition, based on the inspection report, the resident was found twice subsequent to the fracture with unexplained ecchymosis and bruising to her left eye. However, again, no additional interventions were put in place by the nursing home to prevent further abuse.