The Hartford Counrant reported recently that multiple Connecticut nursing homes were fined by the state Department of Public Health for lapses in care.
All citations occurred over the fall and winter in 2013, although the incidents themselves occurred earlier in the year. The range of incidents spanned from negligence, with injuries to the resident occurring, to a lack of records and poor care. In one incident, after a resident died from cardiopulmonary arrest and bowel obstruction, the home’s records did not show an abdominal assessment, evidence a physician saw the resident, or proof such a procedure for abdominal assessments was in place.
In other cases, workers violated doctors’ orders, residents with serious conditions (including suicide attempts and bulimia) were not sent to a hospital for further care and treatment, a contractor physically abused a resident, and a worker improperly restrained a resident.
The incidents occurred at Beacon Brook Health Center in Naugatuck, Manchester Manor Healthcare Center, Ingraham Manor in Bristol, Silver Spring Care Center in Meriden, Woodlake at Tolland, Hamden Health Care Center, Regency Heights of Windham, and Sharon Health Care Center.
Incidents of negligence and abuse are said to be on the rise in nursing homes, according to multiple reports in 2013. Several factors could be contributing to the increase: larger corporate entities taking over private homes, maintaining resident retention rates, staff being spread too thin, or workers not having proper training or licensing.
As of October 8, Connecticut enacted the Bill of Rights for Nursing Home Residents, with the Connecticut Long Term Care Ombudsman Program overseeing its implementation. The program assists with protecting residents from retaliation after filing a complaint, while workers have since been retrained on common patient fears and rights for filing complaints and voicing concerns.
