The Paramount at Somers: Nursing Home Cited for Accident

The Paramount at Somers Rehabilitation and Nursing Center has received 17 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 Somers nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of six surveys by state inspectors. The deficiencies they describe include the following:

1. The nursing home did not adequately prevent accidents. Section 483.25 of the Federal Code stipulates that nursing homes must provide residents with adequate supervision and assistant devices to prevent them from sustaining accidents. An August 2021 citation found that The Paramount at Somers failed to ensure such. The citation specifically describes an instance in which a nursing assistant left a lunch tray containing a “hot beverage” in a resident’s room unsupervised. The resident later stated that they spilled the beverage on themself, sustaining a burn on their side and thigh. In an interview, a registered nurse supervisor stated that nursing assistants “are not supposed to leave meal trays in rooms of residents that require assistance with eating for safety reasons.” The facility’s Director of Nursing attested in a separate interview that “Trays should not be left at the bedside due to safety concerns.” A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the education of nursing staff.

2. The nursing home did not adequately follow food safety standards. Section 483.60 of the Federal Code states that nursing homes must “Store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards for food service safety.” An October 2021 citation found that The Paramount at Somers failed to ensure such. The citation specifically describes an instance in which a pair of certified nursing assistants applied butter to two residents’ bread “with their bare hands… resulting in risk of contamination and foodborne illnesses.” The citation goes on to describe facility policy requiring that “employees will not touch food directly with bare hands.” In interviews, the CNAs said that they should have used a fork to hold the bread or worn gloves. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the education of nursing staff.

3. The nursing home did not maintain sufficient nursing staff. Section 483.35 of the Federal Code stipulates that nursing homes must have sufficient nursing staff with the necessary skill sets “to assure resident safety and attain or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being of each resident.” A March 2019 citation found that The Paramount at Somers failed to ensure such. The citation specifically states that the nursing home did not ensure the availability of sufficient nursing staff “on all shifts. It goes on to describe “multiple complaints by residents and nursing staff about lack of sufficient staff” as well as a “delay in providing incontinent care.” In an interview, the facility’s Director of Nursing “stated that there has been a decline in CNAs due to various reasons.” A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the increase of staffing.

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.