For decades, America has faced a significant crisis in the nursing home care industry; with problems like short staffing, untrained professionals, and caregivers or neglect, abuse, and mistreatment of the residents. Many residents become the victim of abandonment, malnutrition, dehydration, improper drug administration, the use of illegal restraints, or the development of life-threatening bedsores. The South Carolina nursing home neglect lawyers at (800) 926-7565 have assisted thousands of families and holding responsible nursing home administrators and professionals accountable for their unacceptable action. Our legal team can help your family too.
If your loved one has been mistreated at Compass Post Acute Rehabilitation, contact our South Carolina nursing home negligence lawyers.
This Nursing Center is a Medicaid/Medicare-approved 'for profit' Home providing services to residents of Conway and Horry County, South Carolina. The 95-certified bed Home is located at:
2320 Highway 378
Conway, SC 29527
843-397-2273
In addition to providing skilled nursing care, the facility also offers physical, occupational and speech therapies, dietary services, and hygiene assistance.
Both the State of South Carolina and the federal government can impose a monetary fine or deny payments through Medicare when a nursing facility has been found to violate established regulations and rules. The greater the monetary fine, the more serious the violation is that likely harmed or could have harmed one or more residents at the nursing home. Over the last three years, this nursing home received one monetary fine of $249,422 on April 21, 2016. Additional information about penalties and fines can be found on the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control website concerning Compass Post-Acute Rehabilitation and other nursing facilities in Horry County.
Comprehensive research results can be obtained through the federal government Medicare.gov nursing home database that details every opened investigation, filed complaint, dangerous hazard, health violation, safety concern, and incident inquiry. Many families use this information to determine the level of medical, health and hygiene care nursing homes in their community provide their residents.
Currently, Compass Post Acute Rehabilitation maintains an overall one out of five available star rating in the Medicare star rating comparison analysis system compared to all other facilities nationwide. This rating includes one of five stars for health inspection issues, four of five stars for staffing problems, and one of five stars for quality measures. The Horry County nursing home neglect attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center have located various safety concerns and deficiencies at this nursing facility that include:
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated February 17, 2017, a South Carolina state surveyor performed an annual licensure and certification survey, noting the facility's failure to "ensure the responsible party was notified of a change in treatment for [two residents]." In one incident, the resident's "responsible party was not notified of the physician's orders" and a second resident "incurred falls on March 2, 2016, and July 24, 2016. There is no evidence of notification of the physician or the family/responsible party."
In one case, the physician ordered a follow-up appointment with the resident's vascular surgeon. The "review of the physician's order included a space to indicate resident and family notification of the order. The resident notification box was checked, but the family notification section was blank." A review of the "Nursing and Progress Notes for August 5, 2016, revealed no documentation of any family/responsible party notification of the August 5, 2016 physician's orders."
The investigator reviewed the February 16, 2017, at 10:25 AM Incident Report revealing that a resident "sustained falls on May 2, 2016, and July 24, 2016. The entry and the failure to document notification stated, No Notifications found for both incidents." The facility Assistant Director of Nursing anticipated in an interview on February 16, 2017 and confirmed that "no notification of change was provided to the resident's physician nor [their] responsible party." The Assistant Director also "provided a copy of the facility Fall Management System" which states:
"When a resident sustained a fall, a physical assessment will be completed by a licensed nurse, with results documented in the Nursing Progress Notes. The attending physician and responsible party shall be notified of the fall and the resident status."
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated February 17, 2017, a surveyor noted the facility's failure to "ensure all allegations of abuse were thoroughly investigated. No staff statements or interviews were completed for an allegation made by [a resident]." The state investigator reviewed the resident's Reported Local Incident for Alleged Abuse dated August 5, 2016, revealing that the resident "told a Certified Nursing Assistant that someone had hit her in the back of the head with the board."
A review of the investigation of the incident showed "the facility attributed the resident's allegation to a previously reported and investigated incident which occurred on July 28, 2016 and did not take staff statements or interview all applicable staff in regards to the allegation made by [the resident]. In an interview on February 14, 2017, at 4:12 PM, the Assistant Director Nursing confirmed no statements or interviews of all applicable staff occurred following the August 5, 2016 allegation from [the resident] that she had been hit in the back of the head."
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated February 17, 2017, the state investigator documented the facility's failure "to ensure implementation of fall prevention measures for [one resident] reviewed for accidents. The facility staff failed to install a fall prevention device for [a resident] who was at increased risk for falls."
The state investigator's findings involved a review of the resident's February 17, 2017, Care Plan that identified the resident "at risk for falls related to unaware of safety needs, confusion, gait/balance problems, and other diagnoses. The plan included the placement of a Dycem in [the resident's] wheelchair as an intervention." During an interview with the Licensed Practical Nurse on February 17, 2017, it was confirmed that the "Dycem was supposed to be in the chair and a search of the room could not locate it. She did not know why it was not in the chair."
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated February 17, 2017, the state investigator documented the facility's failure to "assure proper technique during wound care for [a resident]." An observation was made of a resident receiving pressure ulcer wound care on February 16, 2017, from a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) who was "removing the dressing from the wound to pull on the light cord for more light with soiled gloves. During the cleaning of the resident's wound, [the LPN] was observed to wipe across the wound bed. After the wound care was over, [the LPN] placed the biohazard bag on the chest of drawers before removing it from the resident's room."
After the LPN placed the soiled items in the soiled utility, the Licensed Practical Nurse "was observed to exit the soiled utility room without washing or sanitizing [their] hands." The investigators interviewed the Licensed Practical Nurse on February 17, 2017, but they "did not recall the above-listed incidents." The investigator reviewed the facility policy titled: Wound Care that read in part:
"Removal dressing and discard in the appropriate disposable bag. Remove gloves, wash hands. Wash wound from the center of the wound to the periphery. Always wash from the area of least contamination to the area of most contamination. Discard soiled materials and plastic bags. Do not discard and resident's room; remove to [the] appropriate receptacle in [the] utility room. Remove gloves and wash hands."
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated February 17, 2017, the state investigator documented the facility's failure to "follow procedures to ensure soiled linen was handled in a manner to prevent the spread of infection during sorting and loading the washers during [an] observation of sorting linen and loading washers."
The investigator documented an observation that occurred on February 16, 2017, when employees were handling soiled linen and loading washers. The investigator recorded that one member of the laundry staff was wearing a gown that "was not properly tied in the back and [it] kept sliding off [their] shoulder." The laundry staff member "Reaching up with the same soiled glove [while loading] the soiled linen to push [the gown] back on [their] shoulders. A follow-up investigation occurring on the same day, ten minutes later "revealed the same laundry staff closing the washer and starting the machine using the same soiled gloves."
The investigator interviewed the laundry worker a few minutes later who confirmed that they had "kept pulling the personal protective equipment, the gown, up on [their] shoulders using the soiled gloves and verified that [they] had used the same soiled gloves to close and start the washer." the investigator reviewed the facility's policy titled: Laundry that read in part:
"Wash hands each time after handling soiled linen."
"Prior to sorting or handling soiled linen, protective clothing with long sleeves (i.e.) cloth isolation gown or waterproof gown preferred) is to be placed over the uniform and gloves are to be worn. Utility gloves are suggested."
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated June 14, 2018, the state investigator documented that the facility "failed to provide care and services that met professional standards of practice for [one resident] with a Peripheral Inserted Central catheter (PICC) line." The investigator noted that the resident "was administered PICC line flushes, and antibiotics by a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) [but there] was no documentation of advanced training, and there were multiple days when a Registered Nurse (RN) was not on-site when the LPNs administer the medications and flushes via a PICC line."
The state investigator reviewed the resident's MAR (Medication Administration Record) that revealed that "licensed practical nurses administered medication and flush the resident's PICC line every day from June 1, 2018, through June 13, 2018." The investigator then reviewed the facility's Staffing Sheets between that time frame and noted that there "was no Registered Nurse in the building as required while the medication and flushes were being administered via a PICC line per [the] documentation on the medication record."
The survey team asked the facility to provide "documentation on the LPNs taking care of the resident's PICC line [to show that these members of the nursing staff] had been trained to work with a PICC line. The facility could not provide education for two of the three LPNs who administered medications are flushes through the PICC line." The Director of Nursing was interviewed on June 14, 2018, saying that they were "unaware an RN was required to be on the site during the administration of medication/flushes through the PICC line by an LPN." The state investigators reviewed the facility's policy titled: Administration of an Intermittent Infusion that read:
"To Be Performed By: The nurse is responsible and accountable for obtaining and maintaining competence with infusion therapy within his or her scope of practice. Competency validation is documented in accordance with organizational policy."
According to the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, every License Practical Nurse shall document "completion of special education and training to include cardiopulmonary resuscitation and intravenous therapy courts relative to the administration of fluids via peripheral and central venous access device/lines that include didactic and supervise clinical competency training with return demonstration. The LPN may not give medications directly into the vein (intravenous push) or insert medication via an external catheter site (Port A Cath). The agency must have specific standing orders to deal with potential complications or emergency situations and provision for supervision by the RN. Section 40-33-20 defined supervision as meaning the process of critically observing, directing, and evaluating another's performance."
The Nursing Home Law Center attorneys provide legal representation to injured, neglected and abused residents of Horry County long-term care facilities like Compass Post Acute Rehabilitation Center. If your loved one was mistreated, abused, injured or died unexpectedly from neglect while residing in a nursing home in South Carolina, let our team of dedicated lawyers protect your rights. Contact the Conway nursing home abuse lawyers at Nursing Home Law Center at (800) 926-7565 today to schedule a free case consultation to discuss filing a claim for compensation to recover your damages. Let us begin working on your behalf today to ensure your family is adequately compensated for the damages you endured at the hands of caregivers.
Our network of attorneys accepts every claim for compensation and lawsuit through contingency fee agreement. This arrangement postpones your payments for our legal services until after your case is resolved in a jury trial award or through a negotiated out of court settlement. Our legal team provides every client a "No Win/No-Fee" Guarantee. This promise means if we cannot obtain compensation on your behalf, your family will owe us nothing for our services. Let us begin working on your case today so we can file all the necessary documentation paperwork in the proper courthouse before the South Carolina statute of limitations expires. All information you share with our law offices will remain confidential.
Attorney Nathan Hughey
Licensed in South Carolina
Conway Nursing Home Injury Lawyer Nursing Home Law Center LLC Home