Are you responsible for protecting your loved one from neglect or abuse while they are residing in a Tennessee nursing facility or have serious concerns that they may have been mistreated? If so, the Tennessee Nursing Home Law Center Attorneys can intervene on your behalf immediately. Our team of dedicated attorneys has helped many families in Lawrence County who had a loved one victimized by caregivers, visitors, employees and other residents at the nursing home and suffered severe injury or died unexpectedly.
Let us begin working on your case today to ensure your loved one can live a better life that is rich with dignity and respect. We can take immediate legal action to hold those responsible for causing the harm accountable. It is imperative to begin your compensation case before the Tennessee statute of limitations expires.
This Medicare/Medicaid-participating nursing facility is a "for profit" home providing services to residents of Lawrenceburg and Lawrence County, Tennessee. The 162-certified bed long-term care center is located at:
3051 Buffalo Road
Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, 38464
(931) 762-7518
In addition to providing 24/7 skilled nursing care, Countryside Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center also offers other services that include:
Both the State of Tennessee 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.
Within the last three years, state and federal regulators imposed a monetary fine against Countryside Healthcare and Rehabilitation on February 8, 2017, for $18,067. In the last thirty-six months, this facility received two formally filed complaints and self-reported two serious issues that resulted in citations. Additional documentation about fines and penalties can be found on the Tennessee Department of Health Nursing Home Reporting Website concerning this nursing facility.
To be fully informed on the level of care nursing homes provide, families routinely research the Tennessee Department of Public Health and Medicare.gov database systems. These sites contain a comprehensive list of health violations, safety concerns, incident inquiries, opened investigations, filed complaints, and dangerous hazards. This information provides valuable content to make a well-informed decision of where to place a loved one who requires the highest level of hygiene assistance and health care.
According to Medicare, this facility maintains an overall rating of one out of five stars, including one out of five stars involving health inspections, three out of five stars for staffing issues and three out of five stars for quality measures. The Lawrence County neglect attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center have found serious deficiencies, hazard violations and safety concerns at Countryside Healthcare and Rehabilitation that include:
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated February 8, 2017, the state investigator noted that the nursing home’s failed to "report an allegation of verbal abuse [promptly for one resident] reviewed for abuse.” The survey team reviewed the facility’s policy titled: Abuse Prohibition that reads in part:
“This facility is committed to protecting the physical and emotional well-being and personal possessions of every resident. This facility has systems, procedures and a program of employee training and supervision and place to foster dignified treatment” and respect of residents.
“Training upon hire [to ensure that] all employees received training in the following areas: Proper technique for reporting suspected abuse; Facts about fear of reprisal. Prevention: Employees are instructed on how and to whom they may report concerns, incident, grievance, and feedback without fear of retribution.”
The investigators reviewed an incident report dated January 31, 2017, the documents that a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) “was overheard talking mean to a patient and the CNA herself stated she uses profanity regularly in front of patients and probably did this time also.”
The report incident documentation noted that the incident was reported to the management “by a witness stating that on Saturday night, a staff member was giving care to a resident in the resident’s room. The witnesses were walking down the hall and overheard the staff member being mean in her tone of voice.”
One witness said that “she told her to turn over real mean and I feel like it was in anger.” The witness also stated that “the employee was very loud and hateful to the resident, telling her to turn over now, [saying of curse word].”
The surveyor reviewed the Monthly In-Service Sign-In Sheet dated January 31, 2017 that documents: “Abuse Reporting; Report it immediately to supervisor if suspected abuse. The form contained the names of the witnesses to the allegation.”
The surveyors interviewed the Licensed Practical Nurse who documented the allegation who stated that “the incident occurred on Saturday, January 28, 2017. They reported to me on Tuesday, January 31, 2017. We told them [the witnesses] they should have reported it immediately.” The surveyors interviewed the Director of Nursing on February 7, 2017 and asked, “What the expectation is if a staff member witnesses abuse to a resident” the Director replied, “They should report it to someone immediately.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated February 22, 2018, a state investigative team noted the nursing home's failure to “ensure infection control practices were followed to prevent the spread of infection for suprapubic catheter care during observations.” The investigative team reviewed the facility’s policy titled: Handwashing/Hand Hygiene that reads in part:
“This facility considers hand hygiene the primary means to prevent the spread of infections. All personnel shall follow the handwashing/hand hygiene procedures to help prevent the spread of infections to other personnel, residents, and visitors. Use alcohol-based hand rub containing at least 62% alcohol, or soap (antimicrobial or non-antimicrobial) and water … before and after direct contact with residents [and] after removing gloves.”
The state survey team observed two Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) providing suprapubic care to a resident. When one CNA “was preparing to start care, [she] removed her gloves, did not perform hand hygiene and placed a towel over [the resident’s] penis.” That CNA “removed her gloves and washed her hands.”
The CNA then “applied gloves and cleansed the left side of the groin area [before removing] her gloves, [but] did not perform hand hygiene and apply new gloves.” The CNA then “cleansed the right side of the groin area [before] removing gloves, washed her hands, applied new gloves and cleansed around the insertion side of the catheter on the left side.”
The surveyor said that they had observed the CNA removing “her gloves, [but she] did not perform hand hygiene and apply new gloves.” The investigative team interviewed the facility’s Director of Nursing and asked, “What should be done after removing gloves and [before] applying new gloves?” The Director responded, “Wash hands.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated February 22, 2018, the state investigator documented the facility’s failure to “notify the physician for one of five residents reviewed for unnecessary medication use.” The state investigators reviewed the facility’s policy titled: Change in the Resident’s Condition or Status that reads in part:
“The nurse will notify the resident’s attending physician or physician on call when there has been a refusal of treatment.”
The surveyor reviewed the resident’s medical records and interviewed the family nurse practitioner on February 22, 2018. The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) was asked if they had completed a comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) and Complete Blood Count (CVC) in November. The FNP replied that “one was not done. I expect our orders to be done. I do not see one. I do not have a note of it.”
The surveyors interviewed the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) providing the resident care and asked, “What is the procedure when a resident refuses a lab drug?” The LPN replied, “The Medical Director should be notified for further orders.” The surveyors asked if the doctor was notified and the LPN replied, “Not that I can find.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated February a 2017, the state survey team documented that the facility had failed to “ensure chemicals were properly stored in one of three (300 Hall) secure unit hallways.”
The surveyors observed the old nurse’s station on the 300 Hall on February 7, 2017 on two occasions and the following day on two occasions that “revealed the window remained unlocked and unsafe “from which the door could be open through the window. There was a liquid floor cleaner in the unsecured room that contained a label stating ‘May cause severe burns, eye damage. Do not breathe dust, gas fumes.’”
The survey team interviewed the Director of Environmental Services that day and asked, “Whether she was aware that there was a liquid floor cleaner on the 300 Hall Old Nurses Station?” The Director replied, “No, but the door was locked.” The surveyors then asked the Director “whether the window could be secured?” The Director replied, “Well, yes.” The Director of Nursing verified that the window “Should be locked and secured.”
A review of a resident’s Nurse’s Notes dated April 24, 2017, revealed that the resident was found “lying on the floor, laughing/joking” beside the resident’s “bed in the room.” The following month, the May 16, 2017 - Nurse’s Notes document that the resident “slid out of the wheelchair trying to get on the toilet in the patient’s bathroom.” The previous day, the resident was “found on the floor in his bathroom with his chair alarm alarming.”
The surveyors interviewed the Director of Nursing on July 19, 2017 and asked, “What was the facility’s procedure for unattended falls?” The Director replied, “We update the Care Plan, implement fall precautions and complete a neurological checks every 15 minutes, then every 30 minutes, then every hour.”
The Director confirmed that it was a failure to “not follow the facility’s policy for fall risk assessments and complete neuro-checks for documented unattended falls.” The surveyor said that the facility “Was unable to provide a neurological flow sheet for [the resident] after the three documented unattended falls.”
If you have your suspicions that your loved one is being neglected or abused while living at Countryside Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, call the Tennessee nursing home abuse lawyers at Nursing Home Law Center at (800) 926-7565 for legal help to stop the mistreatment now. Our network of attorneys fights aggressively on behalf of Lawrence County victims of mistreatment living in long-term facilities including nursing homes in Lawrenceburg.
Our seasoned attorneys provide legal representation to nursing home residents who have been harmed by negligence and abuse. Our years of experience in successfully resolving claims for compensation against caregivers holds those at fault accountable. Contact us now to schedule a free case review to discuss how to obtain justice and resolve a monetary recovery claim. We can begin working on your behalf to ensure your rights are protected.
Our lawyers accept every case concerning wrongful death, personal injury and nursing home abuse through a contingency fee arrangement. This agreement postpones the requirement to make a payment to our network of attorneys until after we have successfully resolved your claim for compensation through a negotiated out of court settlement or jury trial award.
Our network of attorneys offers every client a “No Win/No-Fee” Guarantee, meaning you will owe us nothing if we are unable to obtain compensation to recover your family’s damages. We can begin representing you in your case today to ensure you receive adequate compensation for your damages. All information you share with our law offices will remain confidential.
Attorney Cameron Jehl
Licensed in Tennessee
Tennessee Nursing Home Injury Attorney Nursing Home Law Center LLC Home