Many families have limited options when providing care to a loved one who requires outside nursing assistance. Typically, the family will choose to place a loved one in a nursing home to ensure they receive the best care possible. Unfortunately, abuse and neglect are serious problems in nursing homes across the United States.
If your loved one was victimized through neglect, mistreatment, or abuse while living in a Maricopa County nursing facility, contact the Arizona nursing home affiliate attorneys now for immediate legal help. Let our team of abuse prevention lawyers work on your family’s behalf to ensure you receive financial compensation from recovering your damages. We will use the law to hold those responsible for your harm rightfully accountable.
This long-term care home is a 161-certified bed center providing care and services to residents of Avondale and Maricopa County, Arizona. The "for-profit" Medicare and Medicaid-participating facility is located at:
350 East La Canada
Avondale, Arizona 85323
(623) 932-2282
Estrella Center Nursing Facility
In addition to providing 24/7 skilled nursing care, Estrella Center Nursing Facility offers other services. Additional focused care includes short-term and long term care.
The facility also provides comprehensive rehab services, wound care, pulmonary care, IV (intervenous) care, post-stroke care, enteral nutrition, pain management, hospice, oncology care, dementia and memory care, and physical, occupational, and speech therapies.
Both the state of Arizona and federal agencies penalize nursing homes by denying reimbursement payments from Medicare or imposing monetary fines anytime the facility is cited for a serious violation of established regulations and rules that harm or could harm residents.
The nursing home received one complaint over the last thirty-six months that resulted in a violation citation. Additional information concerning the facility can be reviewed on the comprehensive Arizona Adult Protective Services Website.
Call (800) 926-7565 Toll-Free for a No Obligation Consultation
Information on every intermediate and long-term care home in the state can be reviewed on government-owned and operated database websites, including the Arizona Department of Public Health and Medicare.gov.
According to Medicare, this facility 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 five out of five stars for quality measures.
The state investigators determined that the nursing home “failed to meet professional standards of quality by failing to properly administer an extended-release medication to [one resident].” The state investigators reviewed the resident’s Medication Administration Records that indicated the resident “receives the Potassium ER daily.”
An observation of a medication administration was observed. The observation involved a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) “crushing multiple medications together, including the Potassium ER tablet for [the resident].” The LPN “then mixed the crushed medications with a teaspoon of applesauce.”
When the LPN was questioned about the crushed medications with the tablespoon of applesauce, the nurse “was unaware that the Potassium ER (extended-release) should not be crushed and did not notice the medication was extended-release.” The LPN said that “this resident was unable to swallow pills and always had all of her medications crushed.”
The investigators interviewed the facility’s pharmacist, who stated “the effect of crushing extended-release medications automatically turns the mechanism of action to an immediate release form of the drug. The pharmacist advised for patients that could not swallow potassium pills that capsules were available, and capsules could be opened, and the drug could be sprinkled in her applesauce.”
The facility “failed to ensure medical records were completed for two residents.” In one case, the investigation involved a resident who “requires one to two-person assist with activities of daily living.”
A review of the Activities of Daily Living Records completed by a Certified Nursing Assistant revealed “there were areas to document each shift regarding bed mobility, toilet use, bathing, transfers, and mealtime percentages. However, there were numerous blank spaces in these areas.”
When interviewed, the CNA stated that “all areas on the Activities of Daily Living record are to be completed every shift on every resident. She stated she had an in-service on how to fill them out when she was hired.” The staff member stated that “all Activities of Daily Living Charting are supposed to be documented in the ADL charting book, and there are to be no blank spots in the the charting.”
Do you suspect that your loved one is the victim of mistreatment while living at Estrella Center Nursing Facility? Contact the Arizona nursing home abuse prevention lawyers at Nursing Home Law Center at (800) 926-7565 for immediate legal intervention. We represent Maricopa County victims of abuse and neglect in all areas, including Avondale.
Discuss your case with us now through an initial case consultation at no charge to you. Also, we offer a 100% “No Win/No-Fee” Guarantee. This promise means we postpone payment for our services until after we have secured a monetary recovery on your behalf.
Sources:
Attorney James Morgan
Licensed in Arizona
Chicago Nursing Home Injury Lawyer Nursing Home Law Center LLC Home