Yonkers Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing received 33 citations for violations of public health laws between 2018 and 2022, according to New York State Department of Health records accessed on October 16, 2022. The Yonkers nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of 10 inspections by state surveyors. 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 home facilities must provide residents with an environment as free as possible from accident hazards, as well as adequate supervision and assistive devices to prevent residents from experiencing accidents. A December 2021 citation found that Yonkers Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing failed to ensure such. The citation specifically describes an instance in which a resident “who had severe cognitive impairment and was a high risk for elopement” left the facility undetected through its main lobby. The citation goes on to describe a separate instance in which a second resident “who had severe cognitive impairment and a high risk for elopement” left the nursing home undetected on two occasions. Finally, the citation describes a third resident with severe cognitive impairment, who had been identified as an elopement risk, leaving the facility through the same tunnel as the second resident. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the termination of a security guard and the counseling of relevant staff.
2. Yonkers Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing was also cited for accident prevention measures in July 2020. According to this citation, the facility failed to provide adequate supervision to prevent two resident from eloping. One resident “removed her Wanderguard and was able to exit the facility undetected by staff,” the citation states, while the second left through a stairwell door that triggered an alarm which staff turned off without checking the staircase. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the termination of a security guard and the education of relevant employees.
3. Yonkers Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing was issued a third citation for accident-prevention failures in May 2019. This citation describes a resident who stated that “he had fallen several times in his room and once in the lavatory.” It goes on to describe an instance in which “the resident fell in the bathroom and was found between the toilet and his wheelchair.” A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the placement of a full commode frame in the resident’s bathroom.
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.
