Have you recently admitted your loved one into a Simpson County skilled nursing facility to ensure that they receive the best care in a safe, compassionate environment? Do you now suspect that they are being mistreated, abused, or neglected at the hands of caregivers, employees, visitors or other patients? If so, it is crucial to contact the Kentucky Nursing Home Law Center attorneys now for immediate legal intervention.
Our team of lawyers can use our comprehensive years of experience in investigating your case to ensure your family is adequately compensated for your damages in those responsible for causing the harm are held legally accountable. We use the law to ensure that justice will be served.
This long-term care (LTC) facility is a 98-certified bed "for profit" home providing services and cares to residents of Franklin and Simpson County, Kentucky. The Medicare/Medicaid-participating center is located at:
414 Robey Street
Franklin, Kentucky, 42135
(270) 586-7141 Franklin-Simpson Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
In addition to providing around-the-clock skilled nursing care, Franklin-Simpson Nursing and Rehab Center offers other services and amenities that include:
Over the last three years, regulators imposed two monetary penalties against Franklin-Simpson Nursing and Rehabilitation Center citing substandard care. These penalties include a fine of $11,570 on August 10, 2016, and a $17,518 fine on March 4, 2016, for a total of $29,088.
Also, the facility received two formally filed complaints and self-reported two serious issues that all resulted in citations. Additional information about penalties and fines can be reviewed on the Kentucky Department of Health Care Nursing Home Reporting Website concerning this nursing facility.
The Kentucky care home regulatory agency routinely updates its statewide nursing facility database system. The KY Department of Public Health and Medicare.gov information contains a historical list of opened investigations, dangerous hazards, filed complaints, safety concerns, incident inquiries, and health violations of every facility in each county.
According to Medicare, this 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 Simpson County neglect attorneys at the Nursing Home Law Center have found serious deficiencies and safety concerns at the Franklin-Simpson Nursing and Rehabilitation Center that include:
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated March 16, 2018, the state investigative team noted that “the facility failed to ensure the safety of ninety residents. The staff placed tablecloths, soaked kitchen cleaning rags and soiled kitchen mop heads in the dryer and then left it unattended. This resulted in a fire in the dryer which caused sixteen residents to be displaced from their rooms.”
The survey team reviewed the facility’s policy titled: The Laundry Process dated July 1, 2000, that reads in part:
“Transfer to Dryer: Since the linen is sorted before the wash process, the linen should still be sorted as it enters to keep the drying time down.”
The state survey team observed the laundry room dryer at 4:30 PM on March 15, 2018, that revealed “the dryer glass was shattered, and there was black smoke from fire damage due to a fire. Inside the dryer appeared to be pieces of a blue mop head which was the color of the mop heads the kitchen staff use. The laundry room is located on Wing 1.”
The surveyors interviewed the Director of Operations for Housekeeping later that day. The Director “revealed through the initial hire, laundry/housekeeping staff are trained via videos, in-service education and on-the-job training on how to perform laundry services and one of the things they were taught was to shake out the laundry before placing it in the water to ensure there was no silverware, eyeglasses, dentures, etc. in them.”
The Director of Operations for Housekeeping stated that “on March 14, 2018, a kitchen mop head got mixed in with tablecloths and kitchen cleaning rags to be washed and dried.” The Director stated that a Laundry Aide “placed the items in the dryer after being washed and left the dryer unattended. She revealed the chemicals in the rags, and the mop head set fire to the clothes dryer.”
The surveyors reviewed the facility’s Fall Assessment/Intervention Process that reads in part: “
“The purpose of the process is to ensure all residents on any admission, rehab, and admission, and at least quarterly would be assessed for fall risk and appropriate interventions initiated immediately to reduce the risk of injuries with falls.”
“The facility must ensure that the resident environment remained as free from accident hazards as is possible, and each resident receives adequate supervision and assistance devices to prevent accidents.”
A review of a resident’s Medical Records on January 1, 2012, included diagnoses involving “schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, muscle weakness, bipolar disorder, abnormal posture, and lack of coordination.”
The resident’s Comprehensive Care Plan for Falls dated October 17, 2016, revealed that the resident “has a potential for injuries from falls related to decreased mobility, psychotropic medications, and generalized weakness. The resident has impaired vision and is bed/chair bound. Approaches include the bed should be in the lowest position, low bed, and a fall mat to bedside.”
The survey team observed a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) providing peri-care to the resident on the morning of January 14, 2017. At that time, the CNA “pulled the curtain around the resident for privacy and raised the resident’s bed to the highest position so that she could reach the resident without difficulty. She removed the support pillows from the legs and advised the resident [they] would be doing peri-care.”
“While straightening the resident’s clothing, [the CNA] realized the resident’s gown was wet and advised the resident she would get a gown to change.” Subsequent observations revealed that the CNA “walked away from the resident, leaving the bed in the highest position and did not raise the bed rails to ensure resident safety. The CNA found a gown and walk back to the bed area stating, ‘Oh, I left you up in the air. I should not have done that.’”
The survey team interviewed the Director of Nursing and the Assistant Director of Nursing who revealed that “they expect the CNA and other nursing staff to raise a bed for easier access to provide the resident care but not to leave the bedside while the bed was elevated.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated February 2, 2018, the state investigative team noted that the nursing home “failed to provide care according to accepted standards of clinical practice during urinary catheter care.” The deficient practice by the nursing staff involved one of eighteen sampled residents.”
During an observation of urinary catheter care for a resident, it was “revealed the staff member failed to separate the labia, clean the meatus, clean each side of the catheter insertion site, and clean the catheter tubing at the insertion site per accepted standards of practice.” The investigators reviewed the facility’s Standard of Practice Manual from the Mosby Textbook for Long-Term Care Nursing Assistants that guides the nursing staff on how to care for female residents who require catheter care.
The survey team interviewed the State Registered Nurse Aide (SRNA) who revealed that “she failed to provide appropriate technique when performing urinary catheter care to [the resident].” The Director of Nursing confirmed that “she expected staff to provide urinary catheter care as indicated in the in the facility Standard of Practice and Procedure manual.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated February 2, 2018, the state investigators noted that the facility “failed to ensure one of eighteen sampled residents received appropriate catheter care to prevent urinary tract infections.”
An observation was made of a resident receiving urinary catheter care. During that time, it was revealed that “the staff member wiped the catheter tubing extended past the labia three times using a washcloth and water. However, she failed to separate the labia, clean the meatus, clean each side of the catheter insertion site and clean the catheter tubing at the insertion site.”
The survey team interviewed a Registered Nurse (RN) who revealed that “she would expect the staff member to put washcloths back into the water after touching the resident [and] she would expect the staff member to clean the catheter tubing only in providing urinary catheter care.”
The facility Director of Nursing stated that “she expected staff to provide urinary catheter care as indicated in the facility’s Procedure Manual [stating that] she would not expect staff to clean the catheter tubing without cleaning at the catheter insertion site, using proper technique.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated February 2, 2018, the state investigative team noted that the nursing home “failed to ensure a medication error rate of 5% or greater. Observation of twenty-five medication administration opportunities revealed three errors for a medication error rate of 12%.”
The investigative team interviewed the facility Administrator, who revealed that “there was no facility policy for the administration of medications and the facility follows the regulatory guidelines and the Standards of Practice.”
The facility Director of Nursing stated that “she would expect the Physician’s orders to have been followed.” The Administrator revealed that “medication should have been administered by following a Physician’s orders or clarify with the Physician to prevent medication errors.”
Do you suspect that your loved one has had any sign or symptom of abuse, mistreatment or neglect while living at Franklin-Simpson Nursing and Rehabilitation Center? If so, contact the Kentucky nursing home abuse lawyers at Nursing Home Law Center at (800) 926-7565 for immediate legal intervention. Our network of attorneys fights aggressively on behalf of Simpson County victims of mistreatment living in long-term facilities including nursing homes in Franklin. Contact us now to schedule a free case review to discuss how to obtain justice and resolve a financial compensation claim.
Our skillful attorneys provide legal representation in victim cases involving nursing home abuse when it occurs in private and public nursing facilities. We accept every case involving nursing home abuse, wrongful death or personal injury through a contingency fee arrangement. This agreement postpones making payments to our legal firm until after we have successfully resolved your case through a jury trial award or negotiated settlement.
We provide every client a “No Win/No-Fee” Guarantee, meaning you will owe us nothing if we cannot obtain compensation on your behalf. Our team of lawyers can begin working on your behalf today to make sure you are adequately compensated for your damages. 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