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Sapphire Nursing and Rehab at Meadow Hill: Fall, Abuse Citations
Sapphire Nursing at Meadow Hill received 27 citations for violations of public health code between between 2018 and 2022, according to New York State Department of Health records accessed on April 15, 2022. The Newburgh nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of three surveys by state inspectors. The deficiencies they describe include the following:
The nursing home did not prevent abuse. Section 483.12 of the Federal Code ensures nursing home residents “the right to be free from abuse.” An October 2020 citation found that Sapphire Nursing and Rehab at Meadow Hill failed to ensure such. The citation specifically describes two residents, both with “severely impaired cognition,” who were not protected from abuse. One resident, according to the citation, was involved in an incident in which a certified nursing assistant pulled their wig off and hit her head with it, “then posting the video to social media.” In a second incident described by the citation, another resident was involved in an incident in which another CNA took a picture of them “and posted it on social media without the resident’s or representative’s consent.” A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the termination of both CNAs.
The nursing home did not take adequate steps to prevent accidents. Section 483.25 of the Federal Code stipulates that nursing homes must ensure residents an environment free of accident hazards, with adequate supervision to prevent accidents. A January 2022 citation found that Sapphire Nursing and Rehab at Meadow Hill failed to ensure such. The citation specifically describes a resident with “severe cognitive impairment” who had 15 “incidents” in a period of roughly two months, sustaining “abrasion to the right shin, laceration of the left lateral orbital area and hematoma to the left lateral aspect of orbital region during some of the falls.” A second resident described by the citation experienced 11 incidents in under four months, sustaining “a 6-inch abrasion to the left lateral torso.” the citation goes on to state that neither residents were “adequately supervised or monitored during these incidents.” The citation describes these incidents as having the “potential to cause more than minimal harm.”
The nursing home did not adequately prevent infection. Under Section 483.80 of the Federal Code, nursing homes must endeavor to mitigate the development and transmission of disease by creating an infection prevention and control program. A May 2019 citation found that Sapphire Nursing and Rehab at Meadow Hill failed to ensure such. The citation states specifically that the facility failed to “ensure that nursing staff followed proper hand hygiene during wound care.” It goes on to describe a registered nurse who failed to properly wash or sanitize her hands while caring for a resident’s pressure ulcer. In an interview, she stated that “she should not have handled the clean dressing without first washing her hands” and acknowledged that she was nervous. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the counseling of the nurse in question.
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:
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.
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.
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.
Contact The Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan
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.
