Do you suspect that your loved one is the victim of verbal or physical abuse while living in a Howard County nursing facility? Are you concerned that the mistreatment is occurring at the hands of caregivers, other patients, employees, or visitors? If so, contact the Indiana Nursing Home Law Center attorneys now for immediate legal intervention.Let our team of lawyers work on your family’s behalf to ensure you receive monetary compensation to recover your damages. Let us begin working on your case today.
This long-term care center is an 89-certified bed "for profit" home providing services to residents of Kokomo and Howard County, Indiana. The Medicare and Medicaid-participating facility is located at:
429 W Lincoln Rd
Kokomo, Indiana 46902
(765) 453-5600
Kokomo Healthcare Center
In addition to providing around the clock skilled nursing care, Kokomo Healthcare Center offers other services. Additional focused care includes amputee care, Cancer care, wound care, pain management, cardiac recovery, pulmonary rehab, infectious disease care, hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis care, bariatric care and speech, physical and occupational therapies.
The investigators for the state of Indiana and federal nursing home regulatory agencies have the legal responsibility of penalizing any facility that has violated rules and regulations that harmed or could have harmed a resident. These penalties often include monetary fines and denying payment of Medicare services.
Within the last three years, investigators imposed two monetary penalties against Kokomo Healthcare Center, citing substandard care. These penalties include a $14,300 fine on December 11, 2017, and a $2,688 fine on December 14, 2016, for a total of $16,988.
The nursing home also received twenty-seven complaints over the last three years that resulted in a violation citation. Additional information concerning the facility can be reviewed on the Indiana Nursing Home Report Cards Website.
Your family can visit Medicare.gov and the Indiana Department of Public Health website to obtain a complete list of all violations, citations, and deficiencies identified by investigators and surveyors.
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 four out of five stars for quality measures.
The facility “failed to provide care and services to accurately monitor and distribute resident medication treatment.” The nursing home also “failed to provide safe and sanitary respiratory equipment tubing for [seven of eleven] residents reviewed for oxygen equipment utilization.”
In one case, a resident received a Physician’s orders to “monitor shortness of breath every shift.” However, a review of the resident’s Medication Review Record indicated that the resident “was not monitored for shortness of breath” on numerous occasions between December 1, 2017, and January 18, 2018.
According to investigators, “the facility failed to notify the physician and the family of a fall [involving one resident] reviewed for falls.” A facility Incident Note dated December 6, 2016, indicated that the resident “had a witnessed fall late Sunday night on December 4, 2016.”
However, when the surveyors interviewed the resident’s family member six days later, they indicated that they “did not receive a call about the fall on twelfth for 2016. He indicated he was later notified of the fall by the resident.” The surveyors interviewed the Director of Nursing who indicated that “she was notified of the resident’s fall on December 6, 2016,” which was two days later. She indicated that “she did not have to tell the resident’s family member as the resident was her own responsible party.”
Additionally, she indicated the Nurse on Duty on that day “was the Agency Nurse [a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)], and the nurse did not consider it a fall because the resident was lowered to the floor by a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).” The Director “did not provide documentation of notification to the resident’s family member or the Physician.”
During an interview with the Executive Director, it was indicated that “the Fall Protocol was not followed for the resident until two days after the fall.”
Do you suspect that your loved one is the victim of mistreatment while living at Kokomo Healthcare Center? Contact the Indiana nursing home abuse attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center at (800) 926-7565 for immediate legal intervention. We represent Howard County victims of abuse and neglect in all areas including Kokomo.
Our legal team never charges potential clients to discuss your case through an initial claim consultation. Also, we offer a 100% “No Win/No-Fee” Guarantee, meaning you will not owe us any money unless we have received a monetary recovery on your behalf. All information you share with our law offices will remain confidential.
Sources:
Attorney Jeffrey D. Powless
Licensed in Indiana
Chicago Nursing Home Injury Attorney Nursing Home Law Center LLC Home