Families throughout the State of Michigan will place a loved one in a nursing home to ensure that they receive the best care and hygiene assistance. Unfortunately, some nursing homes fail to follow established procedures and protocols which can lead to the resident’s endangerment.If your loved one was injured while residing in a Berrien County nursing facility, contact the Michigan Nursing Home Law Center attorneys now for immediate legal help. We use the law to ensure that those responsible for causing nursing home residents’ harm are held legally and financially accountable. Let us begin working on your case today.
This long-term care facility is a 95-certified bed Medicare and Medicaid-participating center providing services to residents of Benton Harbor and Berrien County, Michigan. The "for profit" home is located at:
1385 E Empire Ave
Benton Harbor, Michigan 49022
(269) 925-0033
Hallmark Living Benton Harbor
In addition to providing 24/7 skilled nursing care, Hallmark Living Benton Harbor offers other services including short-term respite care, long-term care, memory care, and rehabilitative services including physical, occupational and speech therapies.
Both Michigan 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.
Over the last three years, Hallmark Living Benton Harbor Nursing Center received twenty-nine formally filed complaints and self-reported six significant issues that all resulted in citations. Additional documentation about fines and penalties can be found on the Michigan Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Nursing Home Reporting Website.
Our attorneys review data on every long-term and intermediate care facility on Medicare.com and the Michigan Department of Public Health website.
According to Medicare, this facility maintains an overall rating of one out of five stars, including one out of five stars concerning health inspections, two out of five stars for staffing issues and three out of five stars for quality measures.
The investigators determined “the facility failed to treat a prevent pressure ulcers [for one resident] reviewed for pressure ulcers.” The deficient practice “resulted in a further breakdown.”
The surveyors interviewed a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). The CNA “was working on the second shift that day” and reported that there were four CNAs staffing at that time and that it was really hard to provide care and have time to give proper care to residents.” The CNA said that “there had been times when residents were not toileted in time before they soiled their briefs.”
The CNA reported that when one resident “was awake and willing to help, then one person can provide care. If [the resident] is not willing to help, he is a two-person assist.” The surveyor asked the CNA “to look at the last time [that that resident] was changed in the computer and it was not documented.” The CNA “reported that it meant that more than likely was not done on the first shift.”
That resident “was noted to have a pink/purple area on [their] coccyx area near the tailbone with a small pencil eraser-size Stage II pressure ulcer. There was no bleeding noted.”
The facility “failed to complete a thorough fall investigation and initiate adequate fall interventions for [three residents] reviewed for falls.” The deficient practice resulted “in a lack of interventions and inappropriate interventions to prevent future falls and associated injuries.”
The nursing home “failed to conduct the facility assessment and develop a plan for risk areas leading to the presence or growth of Legionella and other Opportunistic Pathogens of Premises Plumbing (OPPP). This deficient practice had the potential to result in waterborne pathogens to exist and spread in the facility’s plumbing system and increased respiratory infection among any or all of the eighty residents in the facility.”
The survey team reviewed the facility Water Management Plan with the Nursing Home Administrator concerning requirements set forth by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). “When asked how the plan was coming along, [the Administrator] stated it was in progress.”
Do you believe that your loved one was the victim of abuse or neglect while living at Hallmark Living Benton Harbor? Contact the Michigan nursing home abuse attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center at (800) 926-7565 for immediate legal intervention. We represent Berrien victims of abuse and neglect in all areas including Benton Harbor.
Our network of attorneys provides every potential client an initial free case consultation. Also, we offer a 100% “No Win/No-Fee” Guarantee, meaning you do not owe us any money until we have received a monetary recovery on your behalf. All information you share with our law offices will remain confidential.
Sources:
Attorney Robert Lantzy
Licensed in Michigan
Chicago Nursing Home Injury Lawyer Nursing Home Law Center LLC Home