Meadowbrook Care Center suffered 21 fatalities from Covid-19 as of June 23, 2020, per state records. The nursing home also received 16 citations finding it violated public health code between 2016 and 2020, according to health records accessed on June 24, 2020, including one citation over its infection control procedures. The Woodbury nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of 4 surveys by state inspectors. The violations they describe include the following:
1. The nursing home did not adequately implement infection control measures. Section 483.80 of the Federal Code requires nursing homes to provide residents with a safe and sanitary environment via the implementation of an infection prevention and control program. A January 2020 citation found that Meadowbrook Care Center failed to ensure such. The citation states specifically that a Registered Nurse was observed cleansing a resident’s pressure ulcer without changing her gloves or washing her hands afterward. It also describes a Certified Nursing Assistant who was observed “retrieving a paper napkin that fell on the floor and placing the napkin on the lunch tray” of a resident. In interviews, the RN said “she should have removed her gloves and washed her hands,” and the CNA said she “did not realize she had placed the dirty napkin back on the resident’s tray.” The citation states that these deficiencies had the “potential to cause more than minimal harm.”
2. The nursing home did not ensure the competency of its nurse aides. Section 483.35 of the Federal Code requires nursing homes to “ensure that nurse aides are able to demonstrate competency in skills and techniques necessary to care for residents’ needs.” A May 2017 citation found that Meadowbrook Care Center did not ensure such. The citation states specifically that a resident with documented orders for a Bauerfeind shoe on their left foot and a Darco boot on their right foot was observed with the footwear on the wrong feet. When the Certified Nursing Assistant responsible for the resident was interviewed, she said “she is not the usual CNA, and today is the first time she cared for the resident.” A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the counseling of the CNA in question.
3. The nursing home did not ensure residents received care and services necessary to provide for their highest practicable well-being. Section 483.24 of the Federal Code requires nursing homes to provide residents with “the necessary care and services to attain or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being.” A May 2017 citation found that Meadowbrook Care Center did not ensure such. The citation states specifically that a resident had a Tesio catheter, even though their comprehensive care plan “documented to monitor bruit and thrill and does not mention the presence of the functional Tesio catheter” being used to treat the resident’s redacted condition. The citation states also that “there was no evidence of monitoring bruit and thrill.” A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the updating of the resident’s care plan “to remove the intervention of monitoring the bruit and thrill as it was not functional.”
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.
