Sans Souci Rehabilitation and Nursing Center has received 16 citations for violations of public health code between 2018 and 2021, according to New York State Department of Health records accessed on February 25, 2022. The Yonkers nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of four surveys by state inspectors. The deficiencies they describe include the following:
1. The nursing home did not adequately protect residents from abuse. Section 483.12 of the Federal Code stipulates that nursing home residents have the right to be free from the abuse, including “verbal, mental, sexual, or physical abuse, corporal punishment, or involuntary seclusion.” A November 2021 citation found that Sans Souci Rehabilitation and Nursing Center failed to ensure such. The citation states specifically that two residents “were confined in their room for one hour until the next shift came on duty and found the residents door tied closed with a bed sheet.” In an interview, a certified nursing assistant said that one of the residents “kept wandering into other resident’s rooms,” and they tied the door shut because they were worried about the resident’s safety and couldn’t get their work done. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the termination of the staff involved in the residents’ care.
2. The nursing home did not employ adequate infection-prevention measures. Section 483.80 of the Federal Code requires nursing homes to create a safe, sanitary, and comfortable environment in part by establishing and upholding an infection prevention and control program. An October 2021 citation found that Sans Souci Rehabilitation and Nursing Center failed to ensure such. The citation specifically describes an instance in which a resident’s catheter draining bag “was observed uncovered and on the floor on multiple days of survey.” It describes another instance in which a resident “had uncovered oxygen tubing and humidification bottles on several observations.” Both of these, the citation states, were in contravention of facility policy. In an interview, a certified nursing assistant said that catheter drainage bags “should always be covered” and that “It is important the catheter is off the floor so someone does not trip over it and accidently [sic] pull it out and so it does not get dirty and cause an infection.” A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the changing of the relevant items and education of relevant staff.
3. The nursing home did not follow food service standards. Section 483.60 of the Federal Code requires nursing homes to prepare food “in accordance with professional standards for food service safety.” An October 2021 citation found that Sans Souci Rehabilitation and Nursing Center failed to ensure such. The citation states specifically that “prepared and frozen foods in the kitchen refrigerator and in the dry food storage room were not labeled and or not dated.” A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the discarding of relevant food items and the education of dietary staff “on proper labeling procedures for leftover food.” The citation describes the scope of this deficiency as “widespread” and states that it had the “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.