Many family members turn to nursing homes to relocate a loved one who needs the highest level of hygiene assistance and skilled nursing care provided by medical professionals. Even though there have been significant advancements in the healthcare industry, not every nursing facility offers the ideal care in a compassionate, safe environment. As a result, many residents in nursing homes are victimized by neglect and abuse by those responsible for their health or injured by the aggressive behavior of other residents.
If your loved one suffered mistreatment while living in a Pulaski County Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center, our nursing home neglect affiliated attorneys in Arkansas can help. We have represented many victims of mistreatment to ensure they receive adequate monetary compensation to recover their damages and help them seek justice to ensure those that caused harm are held legally accountable. We can begin working on your case now.
This Medicare/Medicaid-participating nursing center is a "for-profit" facility providing services and cares to residents of Little Rock and Pulaski County, Arkansas. The 140-certified bed long-term care (LTC) nursing home is located at:
8701 Riley Drive
Little Rock, Arkansas, 72205
(501) 224-2700
The state of Arkansas and the federal government have a legal responsibility of monitoring every nursing home statewide. These agencies are authorized to impose monetary penalties or withhold payment from Medicare if the nursing facility has violated rules and regulations. Typically, the more serious the violation, the higher the monetary fines, especially if neglect or abuse caused harm or could have harmed a resident.
Within the last three years, Hillview Post Acute and Rehabilitation Center has been fined four times by the government including a $5107 fine on June 9, 2016, a $31,164 fine on August 24, 2018, a $41,628 fine on November 7, 2016, and a $13,000 fine on February 9, 2018 for a total of $90,899. Also, Medicare denied payment for services on two occasions including on November 7, 2016, and February 9, 2018. The facility received sixteen formally filed complaints within the last thirty-six months. Additional documentation about fines and penalties can be found on the Arkansas Adult Protective Services 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 database websites including the Arkansas Department of Public Health and Medicare.gov. These regulatory agencies routinely update their comprehensive lists of filed complaints, safety concerns, opened investigations, health violations, incident inquiries and dangerous hazards on facilities statewide.
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 two out of five stars for quality measures. The Pulaski County neglect attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center have found serious deficiencies, hazard violations and safety problems at Hillview Post Acute and Rehabilitation Center that include:
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated December 16, 2016, the state investigators documented that the facility had failed to "ensure urine collection bags were kept below the level of the bladder to decrease the potential for urinary tract infections." The deficient practice by the nursing staff involved to residents who had physician's orders. This failed practice has the potential to affect twelve residents" at the facility."
The state surveyor reviewed a resident's Annual MDS (Minimum Data Set) with an Assessment Reference Date of October 2, 2016. The document reveals that the resident is moderately cognitively impaired and "totally dependent on the physical assistance of one person for toileting, personal hygiene and bathing and had an indwelling urinary catheter." The resident's October 12, 2016 care plan shows that the indwelling catheter is secondary to other medical conditions and to "position the catheter bag and tubing below the level of the bladder."
The state survey team observed the resident on the morning of December 13, 2016 while "lying in bed." A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) "transferred the resident's indwelling urinary catheter bag from one side of the bed to the other, raising the urine collection bag and tubing approximately 1.5 feet above the level of the resident's bladder."
Surveyors observed another resident "lying in bed." A different Certified Nursing Assistant "provided incontinence care. During the care, the CNA raised the resident's urine collection bag and tubing approximately 1.5 feet above the level of the resident's bladder." During an interview with the facility Director of Nursing, it was stated that the bag and tubing should not be lifted above the level of the bladder to minimize problems that could lead to a urinary problems.
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated December 16, 2016, a state investigator noted the nursing home's failure to "ensure sources of infectious agents were properly identified to allow for implementation of the most effective and least restrictive isolation precautions." The nursing home also failed to "keep staff aware of which procedures to follow to decrease the potential for the spread of disease and infection." The deficient practice by the nursing staff involved two residents "who were on isolation precautions. The failed practice has the potential to affect fourteen residents on isolation precautions."
The state investigator conducted an initial round of the facility on the afternoon of December 12, 2016, when an isolation sign was noticed "outside of the door of a resident's room and documented that the resident was on droplet isolation precautions. An isolation cart was parked beside the door entrance in the hallway. There were two red containers in the resident's room."
The state investigator interviewed the resident on the morning of December 13, 2016 and asked "about the isolation precautions. The resident stated, 'I do not know why I am in isolation. I have asked the nurses [and] I have been told that they do not know. The only infection that I know of is this rash on my stomach. I hope you find out why I am in isolation."
Fifteen minutes later, the state surveyor interviewed a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) providing the resident care and asked about the isolation order. "The LPN stated that the resident should not be on droplet isolation [stating that] she is supposed to be in contact isolation. They thought that Staphylococcus A was in her throat, but its in her wound." The LPN said that the Director of Nursing "is revising it."
Approximately twenty-four hours later on December 14, 2016, the state investigator asked the Director of Nursing about the isolation precautions involving the resident. The Director replied that "if a resident was a new admit, the facility [would get] a report from the hospital to see if the resident needed to be in isolation."
The Director also said that "if they get an infection here we have a protocol [to determine] what kind of isolation to put them in." The Director further stated that "the resident was not supposed to be in droplet isolation [and that the droplet sign] was a mistake and the sign was not noticed until yesterday (December 13, 2016)."
In a separate summary statement of deficiencies dated May 8, 2018, the state investigator documented the facility's failure "to ensure the resident bathrooms, including isolation rooms, were stocked with the necessary supplies (soap and paper towels) to allow residents and staff to implement proper handwashing and minimize the potential for spread of infection for residents on five of six halls to prevent the potential spread of infection. This failed practice had the potential to affect ninety-seven residents who resided on the D, E, F, G, and H Halls."
The survey team conducted a group meeting with the Resident Council and cognitively alert resident council members. The group was asked, "Has anyone had any concerns with not having any soap in the soap dispensers in your rooms to use?" In response, "five of the residents raised their hands, indicating that they had concerns with not having soap in the soap dispensers."
The investigators then asked "Has anyone had any concerns with not having any paper towels and the paper towel dispensers to use? The response of three residents who raised their hands indicated that "they have had concerns would not having paper towels in the paper towel dispensers."
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated June 1, 2018, the state investigators documented that the facility had failed to "ensure medical records related to the resident leaves of absence (LOAs) were complete and correct, in order to maintain an accurate record of the resident's whereabouts and the responsibility of care for [five residents] who were capable of signing themselves out of the facility for leaves of absence.
This failed practice has the potential to affect seven residents who were capable of signing themselves out for therapeutic leaves of absence." The investigator reviewed the facility's Leave of Absence Policy that reads in part:
"A cognitively impacted resident/patient may leave the facility independently. The facility will track the departure return of the resident on the Release of Responsibility for LOA (Leave of Absence) form. Obtain the signature of the resident/patient are the responsible party taking the resident/patient from the facility on the Release of Responsibility for LOA form. This is part of the medical record. Record the date and time in the form of the resident/patient returns and enter the staff signature."
After reviewing the Release of Responsibility for Leaves of Absence (LOA) form, the investigator noted that the "resident had signed himself in at the facility forty times from April 5, 2018, through May 20, 2018. The only documentation of the resident returning to the facility was dated April 5, 2018, and April 20, 2018."
In a separate incident involving a different resident, a review of their Release of Responsibility for Legal Absence Form documented that the resident had "signed out of the facility eleven times from April 21, 2018, through May 29, 2018. There were three instances where the resident's return time was documented; however, there were no staff signatures to acknowledge the returns to the facility."
The state investigator interviewed a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) on the morning of June 1, 2018, and asked: "If she was familiar with the facility's Leave of Absence (LOA) policy." The LPN replied, "No." When asked if the residents "were supposed to sign themselves back in if they go LOA?" The LPN replied, "Yes, they are supposed to." When asked "if the staff is supposed to sign the resident as returned to the facility" the LPN responded, "Not that I know of."
The state investigator informed the Administrator "of the issue with a lack of staff documentation on return times for the residents who went LOA." The Administrator replied, "Yes, I saw that when I got those LOA forms from you. We have started and in-service" to retrain the nursing staff.
If you believe your loved one was victimized by visitors, caregivers, employees or other residents while a resident at Hillview Post Acute and Rehabilitation Center, call Arkansas nursing home abuse attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center at (800) 926-7565 now. Our network of attorneys fights on behalf of Pulaski County victims of mistreatment living in long-term facilities including nursing homes in Little Rock. Our team of attorneys has years of experience in successfully resolving financial claims for compensation against all parties who caused nursing home residents harm, injury, loss, or preventable death. Contact us now to schedule a free case review to discuss how to obtain justice and resolve a monetary compensation claim. Let us fight for you to ensure your rights are protected.
We accept every case involving nursing home neglect, wrongful death, or personal injury through a contingency fee agreement. This arrangement postpones your payment for our legal services until after we have successfully resolved your case through a jury trial award or a negotiated settlement. 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 provide legal representation starting today to ensure your family is adequately compensated for your damages. All information you share with our law offices will remain confidential.
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