Livingston Hills Nursing and Rehabilitation Center has received 66 citations for violations of public health code between 2017 and 2021, according to records accessed on November 12, 2021. It was recently placed on the “Special Focus Facility” list maintained by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The Livingston nursing home facility’s citations resulted from a total of eight surveys by state inspectors. The deficiencies they describe include the following:
1. The nursing home did not provide adequate pressure ulcer care. Section 483.25 of the Federal Code requires nursing homes to ensure residents receive a professional level of care and services to promote the healing of existing pressure ulcers and prevent the development of new pressure ulcers unless medically unavoidable. An April 2019 citation found that Livingston Hills Nursing and Rehabilitation Center failed to ensure such. The citation specifically states that the nursing home did not provide adequate interventions to prevent or promote the healing of a pressure ulcer on a resident’s coccyx. The citation describes the lack of interventions added to the resident’s care plan after the resident was documented as at risk for a pressure ulcer; a review found additionally that after an ulcer was documented, there was “no care plan for the necrotic wound and/or the wound infection.” In an interview, the facility’s Medical Director said “he was not aware that there were no wound care orders to promote healing of the pressure sore” and that the resident “received a substandard of care.” A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the education of all nursing staff.
2. The nursing home failed to adequately prevent accidents. Section 483.25 of the Federal Code states that nursing homes must ensure resident environments remain as free as possible of accident hazards, while providing residents with adequate supervision and assistance devices to prevent them from sustaining accidents. An April 2019 citation found that Livingston Hills Nursing and Rehabilitation Center failed to ensure such for nine residents. The citation goes on to describe a resident who was not ensured a “locked space to keep his insulin supplies”; seven residents for whom the facility did not identify smoking hazards and implement interventions; and one resident on a ground diet whom the resident failed to ensure “did not have access to a regular consistency diet by trading food with her husband who was on a regular consistency diet.” A plan of correction undertaken by the nursing home included the education of relevant staff on relevant policies.
3. The nursing home did not undertake adequate infection-control measures. Section 483.80 of the Federal Code requires nursing homes to establish and maintain an infection prevention and control program. An April 2019 citation found that Livingston Hills Nursing and Rehabilitation Center failed to ensure such. Among other things, the citation states that the facility failed to ensure three employees received the flu vaccine; failed to ensure that employees who did not receive the vaccine instead received “flu vaccine masks” to cover their mouths and noses; failed to ensure residents in a certain unit were “as free as possible from wound exudate (fluid) and blood); failed to ensure the at least annual review of policies and procedures; and failed to ensure the development and implementation of a water management plan. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the revision of policies and education of staff.
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.
