Haym Solomon Home for the Aged received 25 citations for violations of public health code between 2016 and 2019, according to New York State Department of Health records accessed on January 21, 2020. The Brooklyn 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 adequately protect residents free from neglect. Section 483.12 of the Federal Code requires nursing home to ensure residents’ “right to be free from abuse, neglect, misappropriation of resident property, and exploitation.” A June 2018 citation found that Haym Solomon Home for the Aged did not protect one of its residents from neglect. The citation states specifically that one of the facility’s Certified Nursing Assistants did not properly supervise a resident during a shower, in accordance with the resident’s plan of care. According to the citation, “The CNA left the resident alone in the shower room, and the resident fell from the shower chair. After the resident fell, the CNA did not call for the assistance of a nurse, picked the resident up alone, and placed the resident back onto the shower chair.” The citation notes that the resident’s plan of care required the resident to receive shower assistance from two persons, and that the resident experienced a small cut and redness on parts of their skin as a result. The citation notes that “actual harm has occurred” as a result of this incident.
2. The nursing home did not take proper measures to ensure the prevention and control of infection. Under Section 483.80 of the Federal Code, nursing homes are required to “establish and maintain an infection prevention and control program.” A December 2019 citation found that Haym Solomon Home for the Aged did not ensure the maintenance of infection control practices. An inspector specifically observed one of the facility’s housekeepers “removing waste from the rooms of residents who were maintained on Contact Precautions” without properly performing hand hygiene. According to the citation, facility policy required the washing of hands before and after the administering of care and service, and before and after the entry of settings on isolation precautions. However, the citation states, the housekeeper in question “was not observed performing hand hygiene before entering or leaving multiple rooms of residents maintained on contact precautions,” although the housekeeper did make use of personal protective equipment. The citation describes this deficiency as resulting in “potential to cause more than minimal harm.”
3. The nursing home did not employ adequate food safety standards. Section 483.60 of the Federal Code states that nursing homes must “Store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards for food service safety.” A December 2019 citation found that Haym Solomon Home for the Aged did not comply with this requirement, specifically finding that facility staff did not properly handle raw food. The citation describes food preparation staff handling “potentially hazardous raw chicken and fish… with bare hands.” An inspector observed one of the facility’s cooks handling the chicken without washing his hands afterward, and handling the fish without washing his hands before or afterward. The citation describes this deficiency as “widespread” and having “potential to cause more than minimal 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.
