Written by Lisa Chedekel
Two nursing homes, in West Haven and Waterbury, face fines from the state for incidents in which staff members reportedly were abusive towards residents, while four other homes have been cited for other care lapses that led to resident injuries.
Administrators of both Paradigm Healthcare Center of West Haven and Abbott Terrace Health Center in Waterbury told state Department of Health inspectors that they terminated the employees involved in the alleged incidents of abuse.
Paradigm faces a $650 fine in connection with an incident in which four nursing employees held down a resident during a procedure, in a way that “did not follow the facility’s protocol for providing care in a dignified manner,” a DPH report says. Paradigm also was cited for failing to provide pain medication promptly to a patient, and for not properly monitoring another resident who was dehydrated and who suffered broken ribs while in the nursing home.
Abbott Terrace faces a $755 fine after an incident in which a nurse’s aide treated a resident in a rough manner that may have caused the patient to hit his or her head on a bedrail, a state report says. The aide was terminated because of the incident. The home also was cited for three other incidents involving injuries to residents, including one who suffered a leg fracture.
Other nursing homes fined by the state DPH in January include:
• Rose Haven of Litchfield was fined $710 after a resident sustained a leg fracture while being moved from a bed to a wheelchair without proper supervision by a physical therapist.
• West River Health Care Center of Milford was fined $525 based on three incidents: water temperatures intended for patient use were too hot; a resident with Alzheimer’s wandered out of the facility despite wearing a safety alert bracelet; and staff did not follow special food instructions for another resident. In a separate citation, the home was fined $615 for an incident in which a resident was injured while being moved out of a wheelchair.
• Bridgeport Manor in Bridgeport faces a $545 fine for two incidents in which lapses in care contributed to residents being injured in falls.
• Orchard Grove Specialty Care Center in Uncasville faces a $745 fine for two incidents in which physicians were not promptly notified of changes in residents’ health status—one involving a resident who expressed thoughts of suicide, and another involving a resident who lost 15 lbs. in three weeks. In a separate citation, Orchard Grove was fined $545 for an incident in which a resident suffered a broken ankle because he or she was not properly assisted.
