Do you suspect that your loved one has been neglected, abused, or mistreated while residing in a Mercer County nursing facility? Do you believe that their harm was caused by caregivers, employees, visitors, or other residents? If so, it is essential that you serve as their legal advocate and contact the Kentucky Nursing Home Law Center attorneys for immediate legal intervention.
Allow our lawyers to work on your behalf to ensure your family receives adequate monetary compensation for your damages. We use the law to protect your rights and ensure that those that caused harm are held legally accountable. We can begin working on your case today.
This Medicare/Medicaid-participating long-term care (LTC) center is a 112-certified bed "for profit" home providing services to residents of Harrodsburg and Mercer County, Kentucky. The facility is located at:
853 Lexington Road
Harrodsburg, Kentucky, 40330
(859) 734-7791
Harrodsburg Health and Rehabilitation Center
In addition to providing around-the-clock skilled nursing care, Harrodsburg Health and Rehab Center offers other amenities and services that include:
Kentucky and federal investigators have the legal authority to penalize any nursing home with a denied payment for Medicare services or a monetary fine when the facility is cited for serious violations of established regulations that guarantee resident safety. Additional documentation about fines and penalties can be found on the Kentucky Department of Health Care Nursing Home Reporting Website concerning this nursing facility.
Information on every intermediate and long-term care home in the state can be reviewed on government-owned and operated online databases including Medicare.gov and the Kentucky Department of Public Health website. These regulatory agencies routinely update the comprehensive list of incident inquiries, opened investigations, filed complaints, dangerous hazards, health violations, and safety concerns on facilities statewide.
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 three out of five stars for quality measures. The Mercer County neglect attorneys at the Nursing Home Law Center have found serious deficiencies and safety concerns at Harrodsburg Health and Rehabilitation Center that include:
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated July 19, 2018, a state investigative team noted the nursing home's failure to “establish and 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 survey team made continuing observations on July 17, 2018, between 11:32 AM and 5:11 PM, and the following day on July 18, 2018, at 9:25 AM. During the observations, it was revealed that “a raised toilet seat in a shared bathroom was soiled with a dried brown substance resembling dried liquid stool.” Four residents shared this bathroom.
On July 18, 2018, at 4:00 PM, the surveyors observed “the shared bathroom revealing “three soiled areas on the wall above the toilet tissue holder, which resembled stool. Each area was approximately five cm to six cm long, and each approximately two cm wide and were brown in color.” The surveyors reviewed the facility’s policy titled: Standard Precautions dated August 2007 that reads in part:
“Staff should ensure that reusable equipment is not used for the care of another resident until it has been appropriately cleaned and reprocessed.”
“Ensure that environmental surfaces, beds, bed rails, bedside equipment and other frequently touch surfaces are appropriately cleaned.”
The survey team interviewed a State Registered Nurse Aide (SRNA) on the morning of July 18, 2018 “who was working in the hall where [these rooms] were located.” At that time, the SRNA would clean what they could when the bathroom was soiled and then they would call housekeeping to sanitize further.”
The SRNA stated that “Housekeeping check the bathrooms during their round; however, she was unaware how often Housekeeping performed rounds.” The SRNA revealed that “if the toilet seat was soiled, the staff would clean the toilet seat before letting the resident to sit on the seat when assisting the residents with toileting. However, per the interview, the resident who took themselves to the bathroom was probably sitting on the soiled seat.”
The survey team interviewed a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) later that same day who revealed that SRNAs “were expected to make sure resident rooms and bathrooms were clean. Per the interview, if an SRNA found soiled areas, they were to call housekeeping.”
The LPN stated that SRNAs were to clean any area which appeared as stool and then have housekeeping disinfect. A further interview revealed that it was important to prevent cross-contamination and illnesses such as Escherichia coli (E-coli). (E-coli is a bacterium which normally lives in the colon and can be spread from person to person. Symptoms of an E-coli infection can range from diarrhea to severe abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea, and vomiting).”
Observations were made of a skin assessment performed on a resident that revealed “staff failed to use proper hand hygiene and glove usage during the assessment. Also, observation of perineal care for [the resident] revealed staff failed to perform proper handwashing.”
The surveyors interviewed the facility Director of Nursing who revealed that “she expected staff to wash hands [before] donning gloves, as well as removal of dirty gloves. A further interview revealed it was important to wash hands when going from dirty to clean for infection control and to prevent contamination.” The facility Administrator stated that she expected “that the facility’s infection control policy and practices were followed by staff.”
The state investigators observed a dressing change on May 4, 2016, for a resident that revealed that “the Assistant Director of Nursing failed to clean the bedside table and failed to establish a barrier for the dressing supplies [before] the dressing change.”
Also, the Assistant Director “failed to perform hand hygiene [to] prevent cross-contamination during the dressing change. Additional observation on May 3, 2015, revealed that housekeeping staff entered the room of [the resident] who was on contact precautions for Clostridium difficile – Colitis (inflammation of the large intestine, without donning Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) while touching [the resident’s] furniture and surfaces in the room.”
It was observed that the housekeeper swept “dust, dirty Kleenex and one wet washrag out into the hallway.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated June 1, 2017, the state investigators documented that the facility had failed to “promote the rights of three residents. An observation [during] the survey revealed toileting schedules posted for [three residents].”
The surveyors reviewed the facility’s policy titled: Notice of Privacy Practices revised November 2013 that reads in part:
“Resident health information could be shared with other professionals providing treatment; however, on the following page, under the heading Our Responsibilities, the policy goes on to state ‘we are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.”
The state investigators reviewed a resident’s Medical Records, Brief Interview for Mental Status (BIMS), and Quarterly MDS (Minimum Data Set) Assessment indicating “moderate cognitive impairment.” The surveyors observed documentation at 4:03 PM on May 30, 2017 “posted on the outside of [the resident’s] bathroom door, visible to anyone entering the room.”
The surveyors say that the documentation included the resident’s “name at the bottom, including the Incontinence Management Program Baseline Elimination Data Collection Form on the top. The body of the form contained an instruction to indicate the resident’s bowel and bladder status by an hour and shift, documenting whether the resident was continent or incontinent of bowel and bladder, assisted to the toilet with or without results, or refuse to cooperate.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated May for 2016, the state investigators noted that “the facility failed to provide the necessary care and services to attain and maintain the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being for four residents.” The surveyors say that the facility “failed to implement their Pain Management Policy” that reads in part:
“Each resident identified with pain will have ongoing assessments, a monitoring system and a specific Plan of Care to address these issues. A pain scale is to be used to describe the resident’s pain, as well as the amount of pain relief.”
“Pain medication administration shall occur in the Electronic Medication Administration Record and documentation of indication and effectiveness shall be documented. A pain assessment is to be completed on each shift for all residents and the findings are documented in the Electronic Medication Administration Record.”
“The effectiveness of routine pain medication will be monitored through the use of every shift pain assessment.”
The investigative team reviewed a resident’s medical records, Quarterly MDS (Minimum Data Set) Assessment and Brief Interview for Mental Status (BIMS) indicating the resident “had moderate cognitive impairment. Further review revealed the facility assess the resident as having occasional pain in the last five days limiting day-to-day activities at a pain intensity of six on a scale of one to ten with ten being the worst pain.”
A review of the resident’s Comprehensive Care Plan revealed the resident “had chronic, acute and breakthrough pain. The goal stated the resident would demonstrate relief or reduction of discomfort within one hour and would not experience a decline in overall function related to pain. The interventions included assessing for worsening pain, medication as ordered, and observed for the effectiveness of the medication.”
A review of the resident’s Current Active Physician’s orders and interview with the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) revealed that “nurses were supposed to check [the resident’s] pain level every four hours.” During an interview with the Assistant Director of Nursing, it was revealed that “nursing staff should have documented pain assessment for [the resident] every four hours on the Medication Administration Records.”
A review of the resident’s medical records and Quarterly MDS (Minimum Data Set) Assessment revealed “the facility assessed the resident to have a Brief Interview for Mental Status (BIMS) score of 15, which indicated that [the resident] was cognitively intact. Further review of the MDS revealed that the facility assessed the resident as not needing a pain assessment interview.”
During an interview with the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) on the afternoon of May 4, 2016, it was revealed that “the nurses did not assess [the resident’s] pain level when giving the resident scheduled pain medications.”
The surveyors interviewed the Director of Nursing where it was revealed that “nursing staff should assess the resident’s pain [before] pain medications are administered, whether scheduled or ‘as needed’ and pain assessment was to be documented in the electronic medical election administration record.”
The further interview revealed “follow-up pain assessments were to be done after administration of pain medications to assess for the effectiveness of the medication and it should also be documented in the electronic MAR. The continued interview revealed that nurses should utilize the pain scale to determine the residents’ pain and observe for signs and symptoms of pain for residents who could not be interviewed.”
The facility Administrator stated she expected “that staff would follow the facility’s Pain Management policy.
Do you suspect that your loved one has suffered abuse, neglect or mistreatment while living at Harrodsburg Health and Rehabilitation Center? If so, contact the Kentucky nursing home abuse attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center at (800) 926-7565 for immediate legal intervention. Our network of attorneys fights aggressively on behalf of Mercer County victims of mistreatment living in long-term facilities including nursing homes in Harrodsburg. Contact us now to schedule a free case review to discuss how to obtain justice and resolve a financial compensation claim.
Our seasoned attorneys can assist your family in successfully resolving your financial compensation claim against the nursing facility and staff that caused your loved one harm. Our lawyers accept all cases involving wrongful death, nursing home neglect, or personal injury through a contingency fee arrangement. This agreement postpones your need to make a payment for our legal services until after your case is successfully resolved through a negotiated out of court settlement or jury trial award.
We provide every client a “No Win/No-Fee” Guarantee, meaning if we are unable to obtain compensation on your behalf, you owe our legal team nothing. We can start working on your case today to make sure you and your family receive monetary recovery for your damages. All the information you share with our law offices will remain confidential.
Sources:
Attorney Carey Acerra
Licensed in Kentucky
Chicago Nursing Home Injury Lawyer Nursing Home Law Center LLC Home