The Riverside suffered 48 confirmed and 17 presumed COVID-19 deaths as of December 26, 2020, according to state records. The nursing home has also received 53 citations for violations of public health code between 2016 and 2020, according to New York State Department of Health records accessed on December 26, 2020. The New York 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 protect residents from abuse. Under Section 483.12 of the Federal Code, nursing home residents have a right to freedom from abuse and neglect. A June 2020 citation found that The Riverside failed to ensure such. The citation states specifically that a resident who had “dementia and a history of physical aggression” participated in four altercations with other residents after the facility transferred her to a new unit. According to the citation, the facility did not put interventions in place to address this resident’s behavior and to protect other residents in the unit. It goes on to state that one altercation resulted in a laceration to the crown of another resident’s head; a subsequent altercation resulted in the aggressor’s transfer to the hospital for evaluation. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the review and revision of her care plan.
2. The nursing home did not provide adequate treatment for dementia. Section 483.40 of the Federal Code requires that nursing homes provide residents suffering from dementia with “appropriate treatment and services to attain or maintain his or her highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being.” A June 2020 citation found that The Riverside failed to provide such. The citation states specifically that the facility did not take individualized interventions in response to a resident’s “increasing dementia-related behaviors that occurred after a room change,” specifically, the resident’s instigation of physical altercations with other residents, including hitting one over the head with a footrest. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the creation of a person-centered care plan for the resident.
3. The nursing home did not provide adequate care for residents’ pressure ulcer. Under Section 483.25 of the Federal Code, nursing home residents have a right to a level of care that prevents the development of pressure ulcers, while residents with pressures have a right to “necessary treatment and services to promote healing, prevent infection and prevent new sores from developing.” A May 2019 citation found that The Riverside failed to ensure such for one resident. The citation states specifically that the facility could provide no documentation that it “turned and repositioned a resident assessed as requiring extensive assist with bed mobility and at risk for pressure ulcer.” The resident then developed a stage 2 pressure ulcer that deteriorated to stage 3. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the re-in-servicing of nursing staff with regard to pressure ulcer prevention.
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.
