St. Camillus Center in Stamford was fined $6,000 after a resident died and video footage at the facility subsequently showed staff waited 10 minutes to administer CPR after finding the resident unresponsive.
On Feb. 16, 2018, a resident with lung cancer was found sitting on the floor. A nurse aide found the resident unresponsive, not breathing and with no pulse, according to DPH.
Video footage showed staff had not opened the door to the resident’s room or checked on the resident between 6:26 p.m. on Feb. 15 and 5:19 a.m. on Feb. 16. Also, staff did not begin CPR on the resident until 10 minutes after the resident was observed by a licensed practical nurse to have no pulse, DPH said.
The resident was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead. A registered nurse, licensed practical nurse and nurse aide subsequently were terminated, DPH said.
“St. Camillus Center is committed to providing high-quality care to our patients and residents. Since [the citation], we have provided additional staff education and training, and submitted a plan of correction to the state,” said spokeswoman Lori Mayer. “At this time, we are in full compliance with state and federal regulations.”
River Glen Health Care Center in Southbury was fined $3,470 for two incidents.
On Oct. 31, 2017, a resident suffered a femur fracture after falling. The resident was walking with the help of a nurse aide and tripped. An investigation found the nurse aide wasn’t using a rolling walker, as required under the resident’s care plan, and didn’t use a gait belt on the resident, according to the DPH citation.
On May 30, 2017, a resident with hypertension and atrial fibrillation was sent to the hospital after receiving an incorrect dosage of a blood pressure-lowering medication. Between May 25 and May 30, the resident was given 37.5 milligrams of the medication when only one-third of a tablet, or 12.5 milligrams, every 12 hours was to be administered, the citation said.
A nurse aide made a transcribing error that resulted in the wrong dosage. The resident became dizzy and nauseous, exhibited a slower-than-normal heart rate and had low blood pressure as results, according to the citation.
Officials at the facility didn’t return a call seeking comment.
Saint John Paul II Center in Danbury was fined $3,270 after a resident broke an arm in a fall.
On Aug. 15, 2017, a resident suffered a head injury after falling, the citation said. A nurse aide was moving the resident when incident occurred. The nurse aide didn’t use a gait belt when moving the resident, as required by policy, according to DPH. Investigators also found the resident had recently become weaker and needed the help of two staff for transfers, but the resident’s care plan had not been updated with the change.
Officials at the facility didn’t return a call seeking comment.
Aaron Manor in Chester was fined $3,060 after a resident was injured in a fall.
The resident’s care plan called for two-person assistance with a sit-to-stand lift for all transfers, but on Dec. 16, 2017, the resident fell to the floor when being helped by one nurse aide, according to DPH. The resident was admitted to a hospital and underwent surgery to repair a broken femur.
The nurse aide was aware the resident required two-staff assistance but tried to move the resident alone because no other staff was available to help, according to the citation.
Administrator Deborah Bradley declined to comment.
Village Crest Center for Health & Rehabilitation in New Milford was fined $3,060 after a resident was injured falling from a wheelchair that a nurse aide was pushing.
On Oct. 15, 2017, the resident suffered a forehead laceration that required six sutures at a hospital. According to the citation, the nurse aide was not using leg rests as directed by the resident’s care plan.
Officials at the facility didn’t return a call seeking comment.
Fairview in Groton was fined $2,030 after complaints of abuse involving one nurse aide were not documented fully or in a timely manner.
Several complaints were lodged against the nurse aide between May 25 and June 1, 2017, according to DPH. Among them: the aide was “rough” when transferring or treating three residents; was seen “abruptly, almost throwing” another resident; and reportedly told a resident, “While you are a resident here, I am the boss and you need to do what I say.”
The nurse aide was removed from the schedule on May 25, when the first incident was reported. But most of the subsequent incident reports failed to include dates when the incidents occurred. On June 1, the facility started training nursing staff about mandatory reporting of abuse, according to the citation.
“We self-reported these incidents to DPH and we took immediate disciplinary and corrective action,” said Fairview CEO James Rosenman. “Our dedicated and compassionate staff members have set the bar high for the level of care they provide every day and we have no tolerance for conduct that falls below our high standards.”
