Sapphire Nursing and Rehab at Goshen Cited for Infection, Food Safety

Sapphire Nursing and Rehab at Goshen received 19 citations for violations of public health code between 2018 and 2022, according to New York State Department of Health records accessed on April 7, 2022. The Goshen 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 the unnecessary use of psychotropic medications. Under Section 483.25 of the Federal Code, nursing homes must ensure resident drug regimens are free of unnecessary drugs, including psychotropic drugs. A December 2019 citation found that Sapphire Nursing and Rehab at Goshen failed to ensure such. The citation states specifically that there was a lack of documentation indicating the continued use of an antipsychotic drug by one resident. In an interview, the facility’s Registered Nurse Manager stated that the resident “did not have behavior issues” and that “non-pharmacalogical interventions had not been implemented prior to the start” of the anti-psychotic drug regimen. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the review of the resident’s medical record and the implementation of a gradual dose reduction.

2. The nursing home did not employ adequate infection-control measures. Section 483.80 of the Federal Code requires nursing homes to endeavor to prevent the development and transmission of disease by creating and maintaining an infection prevention and control program. A December 2019 citation found that Sapphire Nursing and Rehab at Goshen failed to ensure such. The citation states specifically that facility staff did not follow proper hand hygiene during wound care treatment for one resident. It specifically describes an instance in which the facility’s Director of Nursing provided care for a resident’s wound without washing her hand between glove changes. In an interview, the DON said that “by the time she realized she had not washed/sanitized her hands, it was too late,” and additionally that “she was very nervous.” A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the in-servicing of licensed nursing staff.

3. The nursing home did not follow food safety protocols. Section 483.60 of the Federal Code requires nursing homes to “store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards for food service safety.” A December 2019 citation found that Sapphire Nursing and Rehab at Goshen failed to ensure such. The citation specifically describes the facility’s failure to complete “temperature logs used to document cooling temperatures to ensure that food is cooled according to acceptable timeframes.” The facility’s food Service Director stated during an inspection that “there were no cooling logs to make sure food was cooled according to acceptable procedures,” and as such he had no way of knowing if certain meats had been cooled properly. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the implementation of a cooling log.

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.