The State’s Department of Public Health recently announced that eleven nursing homes in the area were sanctioned for violations of care that resulted in residents being injured or placed in danger.
The Department of Public Health (DPH) is the state-based administrative agency that is responsible for licensing, supervision, and regulation of nursing homes.
Here are the eleven nursing homes that were sanctioned by the DPH.
Connecticut Homes Recently Sanctioned
- Noble Horizons in Salisbury got a fine of $6,660.00 for elopement violations. It was discovered that several residents left the facility through supposedly locked doors and that faulty monitoring equipment was being used. Elopement is a serious problem for nursing homes because it involves residents, who should be fully monitored, impermissibly wandering off, and in some cases, leaving the facility. Elopement typically involves residents suffering from dementia, or other mental health impairments, who are supposed to be monitored at all times. Elopement can be really dangerous because the residents could injure themselves, miss necessary care and medication, and become confused by their surroundings.
- St. Joseph’s Living Center in Wallingford got fined $6,000.00 for repeated improper cleaning of a glucometer machine used on multiple residents to monitor blood sugar. The facility staff had not been using the recommended cleaner for the machine, which could have resulted in the spread of infections.
- Woodlake At Tolland Nursing and Rehabilitation Center got a fine of $3,730.00 after a resident fall. The resident fell out of their bed while receiving incontinence care. Allegedly, a nurse’s aide improperly rolled the immobile resident, and the resident fell out of bed down to the floor. Unfortunately, the resident sustained a bone fracture and significant bruising. The resident had already been identified as a high fall risk, and more staff members should have been performing patient care at the time of the fall.
- Advanced Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in New Haven got fined $3,060.00 when residents were discovered sharing contraband alcohol and narcotics. One resident was found to be dangerously intoxicated and under the influence of several illegal narcotics. Allegedly, the contraband substances were obtained by another resident during an improper leave of absence from the facility. The facility compounded the problem by misclassifying the incident on its mandatory reporting.
- Cassena Care in New Britain got a fine of $1,530.00 for a dangerous situation where a resident had to be hospitalized for passing undiagnosed blood clots. Ultimately, the resident was found to be suffering from gastrointestinal bleeding, nausea, and chronic weakness.
- Apple Rehab Laurel Woods in East Haven was fined $1,080.00 after an incident in which a resident was improperly restrained using sheets tied around their waist. The resident, who suffers from dementia, became agitated when placed in a wheelchair. Allegedly, a nurse’s aide, who was later terminated, tied a sheet around the resident’s waist. This is not an acceptable means of restraint. This is an incident of clear nursing home abuse.
- Jewish Senior Services of Bridgeport got fined $3,060.00 after a resident died from a fall from bed to the floor. Allegedly, a staff member tried to reposition the resident, who suffered from multiple sclerosis, without assistance. This violated the resident’s treatment care plan. The resident sustained head trauma and fractures and later died as a result of these injuries.
- Meriden Center got a fine of $3,270.00 when a resident suffered a laceration that required emergency medical treatment while being moved from wheelchair into bed by a nurse’s aide. Allegedly, the resident’s leg became caught under the bed and the staff member continued to attempt to move the resident, which resulted in the laceration.
- Cassena Care at Stamford got a fine of $3,060.00 when a resident was discovered suffering from a large pressure ulcer and other skin tears. The DPH investigation learned that the facility staff had impermissibly allowed the resident to remain in the same position for several hours, despite having knowledge of the pressure ulcer.
- The Villa at Stamford got fined $3,060.00 when a resident was struck in the face by a crossbar of a Hoyer Lift. Allegedly, during transfer into a chair the lift tilted, and its crossbar hit the resident in the face, causing a laceration above his left eye. Subsequent DPH investigation determined that the lift hadn’t tilted, but rather, the staff improperly moved the machine.
- Golden Hill Rehab in Milford got fined $1,080.00 after an unsupervised dementia resident walked out of the facility. The resident was a known elopement risk and had attempted to leave the facility on multiple prior occasions. DPH investigation learned the facility staff failed to make several physician-ordered monitoring checks on the resident.
Getting Help
When your relative is placed in a nursing home facility, you hope that they will receive the same type of care as you would provide to them, if you were able to do so. These reported incidents are disturbing, but sadly, they are typical of the kinds of incidents that I routinely hear about from my clients. If you believe that your parent or relative has been subjected to nursing home abuse, please contact my office to schedule a free legal consultation. I am here to help!
The information on this page was found here and here.
