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:
1. 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.
2. 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.”
3. 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.
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.
