The rate of senior citizens entering their retirement years has never been higher. The increased need for additional nursing home beds and long-term care facilities has risen dramatically as well. Unfortunately, the rise in abuse and neglect in nursing facilities has caused severe problems for many family members to worry about their loved one remaining safe in a compassionate environment. Our nursing home abuse affiliated attorneys in Arkansas have helped many Jefferson County victims seek financial compensation to recover their damages and hold those responsible for causing their harm legally accountable. Let our network of lawyers begin working on your case today.
This nursing center is a "not for profit" facility providing services and cares to residents of Pine Bluff and Jefferson County, Arkansas. The 177-certified bed long-term care home is located at:
6810 South Hazel
Pine Bluff, Arkansas, 71603
(870) 541-0342
Arkansas and federal agencies have the legal responsibility of monitoring every nursing home and imposing monetary fines or denying reimbursement payments through Medicare when investigators identify serious violations and deficiencies. These penalties are typically imposed when the violation is severe and harmed or could have harmed a resident. Over the last three years, surveyors levied a significant fine against Davis Life Care Center on August 4, 2017, for $166,794 and denied payment for medical services on the same date due to substandard care. Also, the facility received twenty-one formally filed complaints of the last thirty-six months. Additional documentation about fines and penalties can be found on the Arkansas Adult Protective Services website concerning this nursing facility.
Fined $166,794 for substandard care
The state of Arkansas regularly updates their long-term care home database system with complete details of all filed complaints, safety concerns, opened investigations, health violations, incident inquiries, and dangerous hazards. The search results can be found on numerous online sites including the AR Department of Public Health and Medicare.gov.
According to Medicare, this nursing home maintains an overall rating of one out of five stars, including one out of five stars concerning health inspections, one out of five stars for staffing issues and three out of five stars for quality measures. The Jefferson County neglect attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center have found serious deficiencies and safety concerns at Davis Life Care Center that include:
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated November 17, 2017, the state investigator documented the facility's failure to "ensure the physician was promptly consulted regarding a resident's non-compliance with consuming nectar-consistent thickened liquids to enable the physician to make any necessary changes in the treatment plan. The incident involved a resident with a physician order for speech therapy "to treat five times a week for eight weeks to increase swallow management and decrease the risk of aspiration."
The investigator observed a 32-ounce pitcher with a straw on the resident's bedside table on November 13, 2017. The pitcher was "three-quarters full of ice and a brown color liquid. A diet soda can and an empty coffee cups [were seen on] the resident's bedside table. The resident's cup and the straw that was in the pitcher [had] ice and brown liquid. The resident was asked, 'Do you have any thickener in your drink?" The resident responded, "No."
The survey team interviewed a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) providing the resident care the following day and when asked if the resident was on thickened liquids, replied "Yes, she is on a nectar-thickened only liquid [diet]. I only give her what is ordered." The investigator asked the LPN "are you aware that she has regular liquids on her bedside table?" The LPN replied that the resident "is non-compliant. She will go and get ice from the ice machine and [the] drinks that she wants." The investigator asked the LPN how long the resident had been doing this. The LPN replied, "months." The LPN stated that they had not notified the physician that the resident was "noncompliant with the orders for thickened liquids" saying that they did not work full time."
The investigator interviewed the facility Director of Nurses and asked about the thickened liquids. The Director replied that they were aware that the resident was "non-compliant with drinking thickened liquids" but stated that the physician "should have been notified." The investigator interviewed the non-compiant resident asking if they understood the reason why they were on thickened liquids. The resident replied, "I do not know; it something to do with me chewing in swallowing." When asked how she procures the regular liquids she stated, "I go get it myself, or sometimes the technician."
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated November 17, 2017, the state investigator opened an investigation concerning a deficient practice at the nursing home. The facility's failed "to ensure expired leftover food was promptly discarded, the kitchen was free of pests, and dietary staff washes their hands before handling clean equipment or food items to minimize the potential of foodborne illness for residents who receive meals from the kitchen." The deficient practice by the nursing staff involved the failed practice that "had the potential to affect 113 residents who receive their meal trays from the kitchen."
The state investigator made observations of the kitchen and found numerous violations including:
An observation was made on November 13, 2017, when a "roach was crawling on the floor by the steamer in the kitchen." One dietary employee "stepped on it and killed it. There were two dead roaches on the floor by the pillar close to the hand washing sink on the floor by the steamer." Approximately 2.5 hours later, an observation was made of a roach "crawling on the floor in the kitchen." At that time, the same employee "stepped on it and killed it." One minute later, another "roach was crawling on the floor by the utility cart where the tray covers were kept." The same employee "stepped on it and killed it."
Later that afternoon, a different dietary employee "removed a bag of shredded lettuce, a bag of sliced ham, a bag of sliced cheese and a tomato, and placed all of the items on the counter. Without washing his hands, he donned gloves, contaminating the gloves in the process with his unwashed hands. He then used his contaminated gloves to remove bread from the bread bag, placed the slices of bread on plates, removed ham and cheese slices from the bag and placed them on the slices of bread for residents who requested a sandwich with their meal."
One minute later, the same employee "removed the gloves from his hands, lifted up the trash can lid and threw them away. Without washing his hands, he placed new gloves on his hands, again contaminating the gloves in the process. He used his gloved hand to pick up the tomato that he had taken out of the walk-in refrigerator, placed ir on a cutting board and slice it without rinsing it. He opened the bag of shredded let us and placed it on the plate, removed shredded cheese from the bag and placed it on the lettuce, then placed the tomato slices on top to make salads for the residents who requested a salad with their meal."
During an interview with the dietary employee, he stated: "I should have washed the tomatoes and washed my hands." Less than 50 minutes later, "a roach crawled down to the floor from the food preparation counter where [a different dietary employee) was puréeing food items to be served to the resident's for supper meal." Another resident "stepped on it and killed it." An observation was made one minute later of "a roach crawling on the floor around the trash can." A different roach was observed "crawling on the floor under a rack where boxes of 2 calorie liquid supplements and a box of snack pack pudding were stored."
The investigator interviewed the Dietary Manager who "provided a copy of the pest control paperwork that documented the date of service as October 25, 2017." Previous services noted in the report showed a call back on September 26, 2017, where the pest control technician "knocked down spiderwebs/wasp nests, pests monitor inspected, replaced. Treated doorframes, doorways, treated foundation." There was no documentation to show [any pest control company] activity found in the following months. Notation on the report says "If you experience pests issues between scheduled visits, we will come back and address the problem."
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated May 11, 2018, the state investigator documented the facility's failure to "ensure residents with risk factors for dehydration were consistently monitored for adequate fluid intake to minimize the potential for dehydration." The deficient practice by the nursing staff involved a mix of residents who "were at risk for dehydration. The failed practice has the potential to affect twenty-four residents who were at risk for dehydration."
Observations were made of a resident "in his room sitting in a wheelchair watching television" on April 26, 2018, at 3:15 PM. There was a water pitcher at the bedside, but the pitcher was empty." The following morning at 8:12 AM, "the resident was lying in bed with the head of his bed elevated. There was no water pitcher at the bedside."
If you suspect your loved one has suffered harm through abuse, neglect or mistreatment while a resident at Davis Life Care Center, call the Arkansas nursing home abuse lawyers at Nursing Home Law Center at (800) 926-7565 now for legal assistance. Our network of attorneys fights aggressively on behalf of Jefferson County victims of mistreatment living in long-term facilities including nursing homes in Pine Bluff. Our experienced attorneys provide victims of nursing home abuse the legal representation they need against all those who caused them harm. Our network of attorneys can offer numerous legal options on how to proceed to obtain the financial compensation your family deserves. Contact us now to schedule a free case review to discuss how to secure justice and resolve a financial compensation claim. Let us fight aggressively on your family's behalf to ensure your rights are protected.
Our network of attorneys accepts all nursing home abuse lawsuits, personal injury claims, medical malpractice cases, and wrongful death suits through a contingency fee arrangement. This agreement postpones the need to make a payment to pay for legal services until after your case is successfully resolved through a jury trial award or negotiated out of court settlement. We provide each client a "No Win/No-Fee" Guarantee, meaning you owe us nothing if we cannot obtain compensation for your damages. We can begin representing you in your case today to ensure you receive adequate compensation for your losses. All information you share with our law offices will remain confidential.
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