Do you suspect that your loved one was the victim of neglect, abuse or mistreatment while they were living in a Gibson County or Madison County nursing facility? If so, the Tennessee Nursing Home Law Center attorneys can help improve the quality of their life immediately. Our team of lawyers has recovered millions in monetary compensation for our clients and can assist your family too.
We handle all types of abuse and mistreatment injury cases and can hold those at fault for causing your loved one harm both legally and financially accountable. Let us start working on your case today before the Tennessee statute of limitations expires concerning your claim.
This long-term care (LTC) facility is a 120-certified bed "for profit" home providing services and cares to residents of Humboldt and Gibson and Madison Counties, Tennessee. The Medicare/Medicaid-participating center is located at:
3515 Chere Carol Rd
Humboldt, Tennessee, 38343
(731) 784-0545
In addition to providing around-the-clock skilled nursing care, Humboldt Nursing and Rehabilitation Center also offers a rehabilitating program that includes physical, occupational and speech-language therapy.
Both the state of Tennessee 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.
Within the last three years, state and federal regulators have not fined Humboldt Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, but the facility did receive one formally filed complaint due to substandard care. Additional documentation about fines and penalties can be found on the Tennessee Department of Health Nursing Home Reporting Website concerning this nursing facility.
Families can download statistics from the Tennessee Department of Public Health online site and on Medicare.gov to view a comprehensive historical list of all opened investigations, incident inquiries, dangerous hazards, health violations, filed complaints, and safety concerns of every facility statewide. The information can be used to determine the level of health, and hygiene care each community long-term care facility provides its patients.
According to Medicare, this facility maintains an overall rating of one out of five stars, including two out of five stars concerning health inspections, three out of five stars for staffing issues and one out of five stars for quality measures. The Gibson and Madison Counties neglect attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center have found serious deficiencies and safety concerns at Humboldt Nursing and Rehabilitation Center that include:
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated January 21, 2016, the state investigator documented the facility’s failure to “notify the physician of a deteriorating pressure ulcer for one of three residents sampled for pressure ulcers during the Stage II review.”
The surveyors reviewed the wound assessment report dated December 16, 2015, documented by the Charge Nurse. These notes revealed the resident had a “stage II pressure ulcer to the right buttock fold without the presence of slough which measured 1.0 cm x 2.5 cm x 0.2 cm.”
A day later on December 24, 2015, the Wound Assessment Report revealed “the right buttock pressure wound had deteriorated. The wound had developed 75% slough and was re-staged from a Stage II to a Stage III wound which measured 1.6 cm x 3.10 cm x 0.0 cm. There was no documentation on the Wound Assessment Report, Nurse’s Notes or physician’s orders” concerning a change in the resident’s condition.
The investigators reviewed the resident’s Treatment Administration Record (TAR) that revealed that the “facility staff continued to administer the December 16, 2015 order treatment to clean the open area to the right buttock fold with dermal wound cleanser, apply alginate (absorption dressing), cover with foam dressing and changed every three days and as needed.”
The investigators interviewed the Treatment Nurse and asked, “if the physician should have been notified of the deterioration of the wound documented by her on December 24, 2015.” The Treatment Nurse responded, “I guess I see what you are saying.” The investigators then interviewed the facility Administrator who verified that the “physician should have been notified of a change in the condition of the resident’s pressure ulcer.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated March 29, 2017, the investigators documented that the facility had failed to “ensure wound assessments were done for one of five residents reviewed with a pressure ulcer.”
The investigator’s findings included a review of the resident’s medical records and wound assessment reports showing a documented “pressure ulcer on the sacrum that was identified on August 13, 2016. The wound was present on admission, and it was unstageable due to slough/eschar and measures 7.0 cm long, 5.0 cm wide, and 0.0 cm deep.”
Another resident’s skin assessment documented a Stage IV pressure ulcer on the sacrum that was identified on August 13, 2016. The ulcer measured 6.0 cm long, 4.0 cm wide, and 3.5 cm deep.” A review of the resident’s medical record showed that the resident was hospitalized in October 2016 on two separate occasions.
The October 7, 2016, Departmental Notes and Admission Assessment and Readmission show that the resident “has a pressure ulcer on the sacrum. Wounds referred to wound care. There was no assessment of this pressure ulcer. There was no wound assessment present from October 7, 2016 (the day the resident returned from the hospital) to October 12, 2016 (the day the resident was admitted to the hospital).”
The investigators interviewed the Treatment Nurse on March 29, 2017 and asked: “if there was a wound assessment performed on a resident after he returned from the hospital.” The treatment nurse responded, “Not that I can find in here (medical record).” At 1:21 PM, the treatment nurse stated, ‘the admission nurse [charted] that he had a pressure ulcer on his sacrum (on the admission assessment, re-admission departmental notes).’”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated March 29, 2017, the state investigators documented that the facility had failed to “promote dignity and respect for residents as evidenced by wall signage with protected health information observed in two of seventeen” resident’s rooms. The investigators observed a resident’s room on March 27, 2017, on two different occasions at 3:52 PM and 5:00 PM and again the following day on five occasions between 3:00 PM and 7:10 PM.
During the observations, it was revealed that “a sign posted over the head of [the resident’s] bed documented: NO BLOOD PRESSURE OR NEEDLESTICK TO THE LEFT ARM.” The surveyors interviewed the Director of Nursing who confirmed that it was unacceptable “to have posted health information over the head of the resident’s bed.” The Director also confirmed, “the sign was posted over the head of the resident’s bed.”
A different observation was made in another resident’s room at two times on March 27, 2017 and two times on March 28, 2017 between 8:30 AM and 7:15 PM that “revealed a sign posted over the head of the resident’s bed the documented: PLEASE BE EXTRA CARE FOLD DURING PERI CARE DUE TO A MEDICAL CONDITION. USE SOFT CLOTH TO CLEAN THE RESIDENT.” The Director confirmed that “the sign was posted over the head of the bed and stated, [that it] ‘should not be up there.’”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated April 11, 2018, the state investigative team noted that the facility had failed to “follow care plan interventions for one of two sampled residents reviewed for urinary tract infections.” The surveyor reviewed the medical record that showed that the resident’s Care Plan dated to June 20, 2018, revealed a “risk for infection, history of infection, frequent urinary tract infections with the interventions to minimize the risk of infection.” The nursing staff was guided to “always wipe front to back, assure perineal area is thoroughly cleaned after each bowel movement.”
However, observations of the resident in their room just before noon on April 9, 2018, revealed that the resident “had been incontinent of bowel movement and [a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)] and a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) were performing perineal care.” The LPN turned the resident “onto her side, and [the CNA] began cleaning the bowel movement from [the resident’s] rectal area wiping back to front and applied barrier cream to [the resident’s] buttocks, leaving a large amount of bowel movement in the perineal area.” The LPN then asked the CNA if the resident “was clean.”
The CNA replied, “Yes, and put a clean incontinence brief on and began dressing her for the day. The surveyor stopped [the CNA] and asked her if she got all of the bowel movement off [the resident’s] bottom.” The CNA responded, “Yes.” The surveyor then asked the Certified Nursing Assistant “to remove the incontinent brief.”
After removing the brief, it was revealed that there was “a large amount of stool in the perineal area.” The surveyor then asked the CNA again if the resident “was clean.” The CNA responded, “no, I did not see that” before taking “a wet washcloth and began cleaning the area using a back to forth motion.”
When this occurred, the LPN looked at the CNA “and told her to wipe from front to back.” The investigator interviewed the CNA at the nurse’s station and asked: “if she wiped from front to back when the surveyor was watching her perform perineal care on [the resident].” The CNA responded, “No.”
The survey team interviewed the Director of Nursing and asked if it was “acceptable for staff to clean an incontinence brief on a resident without removing all the bowel movement from the perineal area.” The Director replied, “No” and confirmed that it was unacceptable “to use a back to forth motion will removing bowel movement from a resident’s bottom.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated April 11, 2018, the state survey team documented the nursing home’s failure to “ensure practices to prevent the potential spread of infection were followed by two Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) “observed during perineal care” and by one Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) “observed during medication administration.”
The investigator interviewed a Licensed Practical Nurse providing resident care and asked, “what she used to clean the glucometer.” The LPN “confirmed that she had used an alcohol pad to clean the glucometer and stated, ‘I do not have any wipes on my cart. The weekend shift must have used them all.’”
The investigators interviewed a Certified Nursing Assistant outside a resident’s room and “asked if she had washed her hands in between changing the soiled gloves and donning clean gloves. The CNA responded, “No, ma’am.” The CNA confirmed that once the staff removes “the dirty brief and cleans them, they need to remove the dirty gloves, wash their hands, and put on clean gloves [before] putting on the clean pad and brief.”
The state investigators interviewed the Director of Nursing on the morning of April 11, 2018, who confirmed that it is unacceptable “to clean blood glucose monitors with alcohol pads.” The Director stated that “it is never acceptable to clean [the glucometer] with alcohol” stating that “they should be using the Sani-cloth wipes.
If you have suspicions that your loved one was injured or harmed while a resident at Humboldt Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, contact the Tennessee nursing home abuse lawyers at Nursing Home Law Center at (800) 926-7565. Our network of attorneys fights aggressively on behalf of Gibson and Madison Counties victims of mistreatment living in long-term facilities including nursing homes in Humboldt.
Our skillful attorneys have successfully resolved many victim cases involving nursing home abuse and neglect. We can work on your behalf to ensure your family receives the financial compensation they deserve. Contact us now to schedule a free case review to discuss how to obtain justice and resolve a financial compensation claim. Let us begin working now on your behalf to ensure your rights are protected.
Our attorneys accept every case concerning wrongful death, personal injury and nursing home abuse through a contingency fee agreement. This arrangement postpones making payments to our legal firm until after we have successfully resolved your case through a jury trial award or negotiated settlement. Our network of attorneys provides every client a “No Win/No-Fee” Guarantee. This promise ensures that your family will owe us nothing if we are unable to obtain compensation on your behalf. We can start on your case today to ensure you receive compensation for your damages. All information you share with our law offices will remain confidential.
Attorney Cameron Jehl
Licensed in Tennessee
Tennessee Nursing Home Injury Attorney Nursing Home Law Center LLC Home