The Kentucky Nursing Home Law Center attorneys have extensive experience in investigating nursing home mistreatment, neglect or abuse and suspicious deaths for surviving family members. Our dedicated team of attorneys uses our skills to dig deep into finding answers over what happened, why it happened and how it happened to stop their inappropriate actions.
If your loved one was mistreated or died suspiciously while residing in a Scott County nursing facility, we can help. Let our network of attorneys begin working on your behalf today to ensure your family receives adequate financial compensation. We can negotiate a settlement on your behalf or take your case to trial. Holding those responsible for the harm and seeking justice are what we do best.
This nursing home is a "for profit" center providing cares and services to residents of Georgetown and Scott County, Kentucky. The Medicare/Medicaid-participating 85-certified bed nursing facility is located at:
112 Dover Drive
Georgetown, Kentucky, 40324
(502) 863-9529
Both Kentucky 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 higher 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, nursing home regulatory agencies imposed a monetary fine of $6500 against Dover Manor on May 31, 2018, citing substandard care. Additional documentation about penalties and fines can be reviewed on the Kentucky Department of Health Care Nursing Home Reporting Website concerning this nursing facility.
The state of Kentucky and federal government regularly updates their long-term care home database system with complete details of all opened investigations, dangerous hazards, filed complaints, safety concerns, incident inquiries, and health violations. The search results can be found on numerous online sites including Medicare.gov and the KY Department of Public Health website.
According to Medicare, the facility maintains an overall rating of one out of five stars, including two out of five stars concerning health inspections, one out of five stars for staffing issues and two out of five stars for quality measures. The Scott County neglect attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center have found serious deficiencies and safety concerns at Dover Manor that include:
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated May 31, 2018, the state investigators documented that the facility had “failed to ensure each resident receives adequate supervision to prevent accidents.” The deficient practice by the nursing staff involved one of nineteen residents participating in the sample survey.”
In one incident, the resident “was assessed by the facility to be ‘at risk’ for falls and to require the extensive assist of two staff or transfers and toileting. However, staff interviews revealed on March 28, 2018, that the resident “was transferred to the toilet with the assistance of one staff member and was left alone in the bathroom without supervision.”
At that time, the resident “sustained a fall and upon request of the resident’s Power of Attorney, the resident was transferred to the hospital emergency room on March 28, 2017 and was diagnosed with [injuries].”
According to the survey team, “the facility failed to complete a thorough investigation as there was no documented evidence of interviews with staff or statements obtained from the staff involved at the time of the incident.” Also, there was “no documented evidence that the facility did a root cause analysis of the fall.” The investigative team reviewed the facility’s policy titled: Fall Prevention revised on July 31, 2017, that reads in part:
“The facility’s goal was to identify residents at high risk for falls, alert staff to risk, and to provide the safest environment for residents and a system to function at their highest level.”
“A fall risk assessment will be completed upon admission and readmission, and interventions will be implemented and documented in the resident’s care plan.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated April 27, 2017, the state investigators documented that the nursing home “failed to treat each resident with dignity and respect and in a manner that promotes maintenance or enhancement of his or her quality of life.” The deficient practice by the nursing staff involved one of sixteen sampled residents.”
Observations were made on April 25, 2017 “during the breakfast and lunch meals, [which] revealed staff was standing while physically assisting the resident with her meals.” The investigators reviewed the facility’s policy titled: Eating Support that reads in part:
“The purpose is to assist residents with feeding when necessary as well to provide adequate nutrition.”
“Staff are never to make the resident field the meal was hurried but were to assure the procedure was pleasant, giving the resident’s complete attention.”
“Staff should sit, so they are at the same level as the resident’s when providing assistance.”
Observations were made of a resident on the morning of April 25, 2017, at 9:15 AM on the A-Wing Hallway while the resident “was sitting in her wheelchair in his/her room. Continued observation revealed a State Registered Nurse Aide (SRNA) “was standing in front of the resident while physically assisting the resident with the breakfast meal.”
During an interview with that SRNA a few minutes later it was revealed that “she was caring for residents on the A-Wing. The further interview revealed she would sit in a chair to assess the residents to make it feel more homelike for the residents and would have for [that resident] if a chair was available.” The SRNA stated, “it was important [not to make] the residents feel more comfortable, and so the resident’s do not feel rushed to eat.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated April 27, 2017, a state investigator noted the nursing home's failure to “maintain an infection control program designed to provide a safe, sanitary and comfortable environment and to help prevent the development and transmission of disease and infection.” The deficient practice by the nursing staff involved four residents during the survey.
The surveyors stated that the “facility failed to ensure staff properly disinfected shared blood glucose monitors after each use; failed to ensure staff performs hand hygiene after performing a finger stick blood sugar (FSBS) [procedure] and administering insulin.” The nursing home also “failed to ensure urinary drainage bags were not touching the floor and failed to ensure proper hand hygiene when feeding residents.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated March 31, 2016, the state investigators noted that “the nursing home failed to serve food under sanitary conditions. Observations on March 29, 2016, at the Lunch Meal, revealed temperatures were not obtained on the tray line for broccoli and soups.” The surveyors reviewed the facility’s policy titled: Food Holding Temperatures on Food Service Line dated 2013 that reads in part:
“It is the facility policy to maintain food/holding temperatures on the tray line of most food items at 140° or higher with the expectation that soups be at 180° or higher.”
The survey team observed the food line at lunchtime on March 29, 2016, when a Cook was “attaining temperatures of food items on the tray line and documenting temperatures in the logbook.” The Cook “failed to obtain a record of temperatures of broccoli or three soups that were available as alternates for residents.”
The investigators interviewed the Cook the following day who revealed that “she obtained a temperature of the green been; however, did not obtain a temperature of the broccoli as there was only one place on the log to record vegetable temperatures. Regarding the soups, which she identified as tomato, vegetable, and chicken noodle, she stated she took the temperatures as soon as they were placed on the tray line.”
The surveyor’s question the Cook “if there could be potential consequences of not obtaining food temperatures [before] service?” The Cook responded, “food items could be served to hot or too cold.”
The investigators then interviewed the Dietary Manager who stated that the staff is “to write smaller [to] ensure multiple temperatures are recorded if need be, as in the case with the green beans and the broccoli. The continued interview revealed if staff did not obtain temperatures of all food items [before] service, food could be sent out too cold, placing a risk for food to be in the temperature danger zone or too hot which could pose a risk of residents getting burned.”
The facility Administrator stated that “he expected the food to be served at the right temperatures and consistently. The further interview revealed he expects food temperatures to be taken on the tray line [before] service as it was one of the facility requirements of the kitchen staff.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated May 31, 2018, the state investigative team documented that the nursing home “failed to ensure accuracy and completion of Section ‘M’ of the MDS (Minimum Data Set) Assessment for one of the nineteen sampled residents.”
The surveyors say that the resident’s MDS Assessment “did not accurately reflect the resident’s condition related to pressure ulcers.” A review of the Resident Assessment Instrument according to the user’s manual and Chapter Three under Skin Conditions instructs the nursing staff to “document the risk, presence, and change of pressure ulcers.” The staff is also to document skin ulcers and wounds and treatment categories related to skin injuries and avoiding injury.
The documentation says that it is “important to recognize and evaluate each resident’s risk factors and to identify and evaluate all areas at risk of constant pressure.” The manual says two complete the assessment “a skin is essential to an effective pressure ulcer prevention and skin treatment program.”
The survey team reviewed the resident’s Medical Records and Wound Care Specialist Initial Evaluation dated January 15, 2018. The documentation shows that the resident “presented with a Stage II pressure wound to the sacrum, with light serous exudate. Additional wound size, length, 0.5 cm by width 0.3 cm with a depth of 0.12 cm with a surface area of 0.15 cm; peri-wound radius; exudate: light serous.”
The resident’s Plan of Care Recommendations include “discontinue house barrier cream every shift and as needed, add Magic Butt Cream every shift and as needed, discussion with nursing staff issues with [the resident’s medical condition] and pressure wound, and plan going forward related to dressing changes and topical treatments as needed.”
A follow-up Wound Care Specialist for Evaluations recommended discontinuing Vitamin C and zinc and “continue present skin care and breakdown prevention. Care discussed with the nurse.” However, the resident’s Quarterly MDS (Minimum Data Set) Assessment dated January 28, 2018, revealed “the facility assessed [the resident] as having no pressure ulcers and not having other wound or skin problems. However, the assessment failed to identify the resident as being ‘at risk’ for developing a pressure ulcer even though the resident’s pressure ulcer had recently resolved.”
Do you believe that your loved one suffered harm or injuries while living at Dover Manor? If so, contact the Kentucky nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center at (800) 926-7565 for immediate legal intervention. Our network of attorneys fights aggressively on behalf of Scott County victims of mistreatment living in long-term facilities including nursing homes in Georgetown. Contact us now to schedule a free case review to discuss how to obtain justice and resolve a financial compensation claim.
Our dedicated lawyers can work on your behalf to file and resolve your claim for compensation against all those that caused your loved one’s harm, injury, or premature death. Our attorneys accept every case concerning wrongful death, personal injury and nursing home abuse through a contingency fee agreement. This arrangement will postpone the need to make a payment for our legal services until after our attorneys have resolved your case through a jury trial award or negotiated out of court settlement.
We offer every client a “No Win/No-Fee” Guarantee. This guarantee ensures that you will owe us nothing if we cannot obtain compensation on your behalf. Let our team begin working on your case today to ensure you receive adequate compensation. All information you share with our law offices will remain confidential.
Sources:
Attorney Carey Acerra
Licensed in Kentucky
Chicago Nursing Home Injury Attorney Nursing Home Law Center LLC Home