The state of Ohio and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) conduct routine surveys, investigations, and inspections at least two times every year at every nursing facility statewide. The surveys help to identify serious deficiencies, health violations, and safety concerns. When a problem is identified, the nursing home must make necessary changes to the level of care they provide and revise their policies and procedures to safeguard the residents’ health and well-being.
In the most serious cases with egregious violations, the state regulators might designate the nursing home as a Special Focus Facility (SFF). This undesirable designation alerts the Administrator and nursing staff that significant changes must be made, or the facility will suffer financial consequences. These facilities tend to remain on the federal Medicare watch list for many years until surveyors and inspectors can verify that the changes the facility makes remain permanent.
In 2017, Continuing Healthcare Of Gahanna was designated a Special Focus Facility and was added to the watch list. Some safety concerns, health violations and major deficiencies involving this facility are detailed below.
This facility is a ‘for profit’ 99-certified-bed Long Term Care Center providing cares and services to residents of Gahanna and Franklin County, Ohio. The Home is located at:
167 North Stygler Road
Gahanna, OH 43230
(614) 475-8778
In addition to providing around-the-clock skilled nursing care, the facility also offers rehabilitation care and assisted living options.
State and federal nursing home regulators are authorized to levy monetary penalties on any facility identified with serious deficiencies and violations that have harmed or could harm residents. These fines are issued as a reminder that providing the elderly, disabled and rehabilitating substandard care is never tolerated by officials in charge of ensuring resident safety.
In the last 36 months, Continuing Healthcare Of Gahanna received two monetary penalties due to substandard care. These penalties include a fine of $94,803 on October 22, 2015, and another fine of $61,880 on March 10, 2016. During that same time, the State Agency received 18 formally filed complaints that after investigations all resulted in citations.
The federal government and Ohio care home regulatory agencies routinely update their statewide nursing facility database system. The Medicare.gov website contains historical information and details of opened investigations, dangerous hazards, filed complaints, safety concerns, incident inquiries, and health violations of every facility statewide.
Currently, Continuing Healthcare Of Gahanna maintains an overall two out of five stars compared to all nursing homes in the United States. This ranking includes one out of five stars for health inspections, four out of five stars for staffing issues, and five stars for quality measures. Some major concerns, violations, and deficiencies involving this facility include:
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated March 10, 2016, the state investigator noted the facility’s failure “to ensure an allegation of physical abuse, reported by [a resident’s] daughter was thoroughly investigated and reported to the State Agency as required.” The deficiency by the nursing staff and Administrator affected one memory-challenged resident “reviewed for abuse.”
The resident’s daughter “had voiced concerns regarding care that was provided to her mother on February 15, 2016, that she felt was neglectful. As part of the investigation, the facility staff including the Director of Nursing and Administrator sat down with the resident’s daughter to discuss specific concerns.” Review of the investigation notes revealed that during the discussion, the resident’s “daughter had alleged that the resident had previously reported to her that State-tested Nursing Assistant had tried to kill her by putting pillows over her head.”
The state investigator reviewed the Facility Documentation over the incident but that there was “no evidence of any type of investigation was conducted related to his allegation of physical abuse. No interview with the resident, other residents or staff, including [the State-tested Nursing Assistant] were obtained. There was no evidence that [the allegedly abusive staff member] was suspended pending an investigation and no evidence this allegation was reported to the State Agency as required. Record review revealed no investigation was completed by the facility regarding this allegation of abuse” as is required by law.”
The state surveyor interviewed the Director of Nursing on the afternoon of March 10, 2016, who confirmed that the resident’s “daughter had reported to her that [the resident] stated that [the allegedly abusive State-tested Nursing Assistant] had tried to kill her by putting pillows over her head.” The Director further revealed that ”any allegations of abuse reported should be investigated and reported to appropriate agencies.”
The Director of Nursing also stated that “a result of the discussion with [the resident’s] daughter, the resident moved on to a different room so that [the allegedly abusive State-tested Nursing Assistant] would not be assigned to her section.” The Director stated that this allegedly abusive Nursing Assistant was “no longer providing care to [the resident] because the resident stated she didn’t like men providing personal care to her.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated March 10, 2016, the state surveyor noted the facility’s failure “to implement their Abuse Policy and Procedure related to an allegation of physical abuse reported by [the resident’s] daughter. This deficiency affected one resident.
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated March 10, 2016, the state surveyor noted the facility had failed to “ensure timely and appropriate care was provided to [a resident] following a change of condition. Harm occurred when the [resident] was transferred to the hospital… at the request of the family.” The resident “was noted to have an acute change in condition on February 15, 2016, around breakfast time, [but] was not transferred to the hospital until February 15, 2016, at 6:09 PM.”
Documents reveal that “following this incident, the resident’s daughter requested to meet with the Administrator staff. The daughter indicated she felt the staff or neglectful in the care provided to [the resident] on February 15, 2016, which resulted in the client change in her condition, and subsequent forty days of hospitalization…” On February 17, 2016, “the facility met with the resident’s daughter and initiated an investigation. However, the investigation failed to identify the lack of comprehensive evidence to ensure care was provided to [the resident] was provided in a timely [manner] and to meet the needs of the resident.”
The state investigator noted that “the facility met with the resident’s daughter and initiated an investigation. However, the investigation did not identify orders written, was not written at the time they occurred, [and] administration records were not completed to reflect the medication provided.” The investigator’s notes also revealed that the nursing staff “did not document the status of the resident or care provided at the time it actually occurred,” This failure resulted “in information obtained by the surveyor on March 10, 2016 been obtained as a result of the recollection of [two Registered Nurses that provided the resident care].”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated September 15, 2016, the state investigator noted the facility’s failure “to ensure medical justification for the use of [a resident’s] indwelling Foley catheter and failed to ensure the resident receive proper care and services related to the catheter.” This deficiency by the nursing staff affected one resident “reviewed for indwelling Foley catheters.”
The state investigator reviewed the resident’s Hospital Discharge Summary dated August 18, 2016, which revealed that the resident “had an indwelling Foley catheter for [a medical condition] because of immobility. The discharge summary stated to start physical therapy and ambulation and discontinue the indwelling Foley catheter as soon as possible.” The resident’s Catheter Evaluation on Medical Justification for Indwelling Catheter Use form revealed that there “were no physician’s orders to provide care and services for the resident’s indwelling Foley catheter until September 12, 2016.
A review of the physician’s orders dated September 12, 2016, revealed “to change Foley drainage system as needed” and stated the “resident had a 16 French Foley catheter.” However, “there was no documentation in the Hospital Facility medical records were an attempt to discontinue the resident’s indwelling Foley catheter an attempt post-void trials until September 14, 2016.” A review of the physician’s orders dated September 14, 2016 “stated to discontinue the resident’s indwelling Foley catheter on September 15, 2016, in the morning.”
The surveyor interviewed the facility Director of Nursing on the morning September 15, 2016, who “confirmed the hospital discharge summary stated to discontinue the resident’s indwelling Foley catheter assumes possible, and the reason it was in place was due to [a medical condition] due to immobility. The Director also confirmed there was no attempt by the facility to discontinue the resident’s indwelling Foley catheter until September 14, 2016.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated September 15, 2016, the state investigator noted the facility’s failure “to ensure a range of motion services were provided to [the resident who] was assessed to have a contracture.” The deficiency of the nursing staff affected a moderately impaired resident. The surveyor noted that the resident’s Minimum Data Set “for the revealed that the resident had not received any restorative therapy in the last seven days.”
The investigator reviewed the resident’s June 29, 2016, Nurses Order that revealed that the “resident was ordered to be on a restorative program for 15 minutes of range of motion to the upper right and lower extremity seven days a week. A review of the resident’s records revealed the resident was not receiving 15 minutes of [range of motion therapy] seven days a week.
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated September 15, 2016, the state surveyor noted the facility had failed to “ensure fall interventions were in place for [a resident] with a history of falling.” A review of the resident’s Minimum Data Set (MDS) “revealed that the resident was cognitively intact, required extensive assistance with two-person physical assistance by staff or bed mobility and was totally dependent with a two-person physical assist by staff which transfers. The assessment revealed the resident had one fall with no injury since admission.”
The state investigator reviewed the resident’s August 19, 2016, Fall Plan of Care that revealed the “resident was at risk for falls due to impairment ability, weakness, and history of falls. The goals for the resident to not have a fall resulting in a serious injury. Interventions include a mat next on the floor next to the bed and to move the resident’s wheelchair out of his view.”
However, a review of the resident’s Progress Note revealed that the “resident fell three times. On August 25, 2016, at 4:30 AM, the resident slid from his bed to the floor. On August 26, 2016, at 8:00 AM, the resident was found on the floor and stated he was trying to set up in bed. On August 27, 2016, at 8:30 PM, the resident was found on the floor and stated he was trying to get out of bed to get to a wheelchair.”
The state investigator made an observation of the resident on the morning of September 14, 2016, where the resident, “was lying in bed and there were no mats beside his bed, and his wheelchair was in the room and appeared visible to the resident.” The investigator’s observation was verified by the facility Register Nurse providing the resident care who “confirmed there were no mats located next to the resident’s bed in his wheelchair was visible to him at the time.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated September 15, 2016, the state surveyor noted the facility’s failure “to ensure proper infection control practices to prevent the spread of highly contagious Clostridium difficile (C-diff) infection.” This deficiency by the nursing staff “had the potential to affect all 81 residents residing in the facility.”
The state investigator conducted a tour of the facility around noon on September 15, 2016, with the facility’s Environmental Director, the Executive Director and the Environmental Services Technician.” The investigator noted that upon observation of the “posted poster listed which programs wash cycles” that there was no instruction for infection control laundry listed on the board.
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated September 15, 2016, the state surveyor noted the facility’s failure “to ensure [a resident’s] bathroom call light system was properly functioning.” This deficiency was observed during a tour were bathroom call systems were tested.
The resident’s Bathroom Call System did not send a signal on the first attempt. This problem was verified by the Environmental Services Technician “who tried the bathroom call system [which] did not work. The investigator interviewed the resident who stated that “it only worked some of the time.” The environmental services to “verify the call system box needed to be replaced.”
If you and your family believe your loved one has suffered injuries or harm while a patient at Continuing Healthcare Of Gahanna, or any other nursing facility, contacting a personal injury attorney could help. Your lawyer can provide immediate representation, file your claim, build your case, and present evidence in front of a claims adjuster or judge and jury.
You never need to make any upfront payment for legal services because personal injury law firms accept all nursing home neglect cases through contingency fee agreements. This arrangement means the fees are paid only after your lawyers have successfully resolved your claim for compensation by negotiating an acceptable out of court settlement or by winning your case at trial.
Sources:
Attorney Nancy Iler
Licensed in Ohio
Chicago Nursing Home Injury Lawyer Nursing Home Law Center LLC Home