It is often the most challenging decision to place a loved one in a nursing home. Unfortunately, many times, it is the only necessary option the family hands to ensure that they receive the highest level of hygiene assistance and health care. These decisions are made knowing that their loved one will be free from abuse, neglect or harm. Unfortunately, many nursing home residents are victimized by inadequately trained staff members or assaulted by other residents. The families are usually unaware that a problem exists until a severe injury or unexpected death occurs.
The Tennessee Nursing Home Law Center attorneys have represented many Hamilton County nursing home residents who were mistreated by caregivers and other patients. Our team of attorneys can help your family too. Contact us now so we can begin working on your case today. Below is just a small sampling of the serious problems and violations associated with Life Care Center of Red Bank.
Life Care Center of Red BankThis Medicare/Medicaid-participating nursing center is a "government/county-owned" facility providing services to residents of Chattanooga and Hamilton County, Tennessee. The 148-certified bed long-term care (LTC) nursing home is located at:
1020 Runyan Dr
Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37405
(423) 877-1155
In addition to providing around the clock skilled nursing care, Life Care Center of Red Bank also offers:
Tennessee and federal agencies are duty-bound to monitor every nursing home and levy monetary fines or deny payments through Medicare when investigators identify serious violations of nursing home regulations and rules. In some cases, the nursing home receives multiple penalties if surveyors find severe violations that harmed or could have harmed a resident.
Within the last three years, state investigators have not fined Life Care Center of Red Bank, but the nursing home did receive three formally filed complaints and reported three serious issues that all resulted in citations. Additional documentation concerning penalties and fines can be found on the Tennessee Department of Health Nursing Home Reporting Website about this nursing home.
To ensure that families are fully informed of the services and care that every long-term care facility offers in their community, the state of Tennessee routinely updates their comprehensive list of filed complaints, health violations, opened investigations, safety concerns, incident inquiries, and dangerous hazards of homes statewide and posts the resulting data on the Medicare.gov website. This information can be used to make an informed decision before placing a loved one in a private or government-run facility.
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 Hamilton County neglect attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center have found serious deficiencies and safety concerns at Life Care Center of Red Bank that include:
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated July 18, 2018, a state investigative team noted the nursing home's failure to “maintain infection control practices during medication administration.” The deficient practice by the nursing staff involved one resident of nine residents observed. The surveyors reviewed the facility policy titled: Infection Control Plan dated March 2017 that reads in part:
“Priorities and goals are established. Examples of goals. [Always perform] hand hygiene. Minimize the risk of transmitting infections. The appropriate use of personal protective equipment. Review of an eyelid scrub package revealed. Wash hands [before] use.”
The survey team reviewed the resident’s Physician Recapitulation Orders that revealed “lid scrubs – use as directed on package for upper or lower eyelid both eyes twice a day.” However, during observations of a medication administration on the morning of July 17, 2018, on the North Wing with a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), it was revealed that the LPN “preparing medication for administration at the medication cart parked in the North Wing hallway for [the resident].”
During the preparations of the medication, the LPN “ applied gloves and entered [the resident’s] room.” The LPN then “informed the resident she had her medications and the resident requested for medication to be placed in applesauce.”
At that time, the LPN “walked out of the resident’s room, [but] failed to remove the gloves or perform hand hygiene.” When the LPN reentered the resident’s room, the LPN “failed to remove the gloves or perform hand hygiene and administered the resident’s medication by mouth.”
At that time, the LPN “open and eyelid scrub package and cleansed [the resident’s] right eye and continued with the same gloved hands.” While continuing to wear the same gloved hands, the LPN “opened another eyelid scrub package and cleansed the resident’s left eye” but never performed “hand hygiene.”
The state investigator interviewed the LPN who confirmed that “she had failed to remove her gloves and wash her hands [before leaving the resident’s] room.” The LPN confirmed that she had “failed to maintain infection control practices during medication administration.” This failure was confirmed by the Assistant Director of Nursing who said that the LPN “had failed to follow the facility’s infection control policy during medication administration.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated May 17, 2017, a state surveyor documented that the nursing home had failed to “provide drinking glasses for milk products during dining service for five residents.” It was also observed that the nursing home had failed to “maintain dignity by a failure to knock [before] entering two resident rooms and one random resident observation of thirty-four residents observed.
The surveyor’s reviewed the facility policy titled: Preservation of Resident’s Rights revised November 2016, the policy titled: Activities of Daily Living Daily Life Functions revised November 2016 and the policy titled: Dignity revised June 2008 that read in part:
“Systems are designed, implemented and monitored to address the resident’s rights to privacy and confidentiality. Knock on doors and request permission to enter the resident’s room.”
“All residents are treated in a manner and in an environment that maintains and enhances each resident’s dignity and respect. Promote the resident’s independence and dignity when dining.”
“If a resident is in his/her room, knocked on the door, way for a response, and identify yourself.”
The state investigator’s observed a resident in the facility dining room on May 15, 2017, during the lunch hour and saw “a resident drinking milk out of the carton.” The following morning, the surveyors observed the resident “in the resident’s room” “drinking milk out of the cart with the straw with no drinking glass on the tray.” At lunchtime, a different resident had a carton “with a straw. During the dining observation on the West Hall,” it was revealed that a third resident was “sipping milk out of a carton with the straw in her room.”
A fourth resident was observed “seated in her room with an open milk carton on the lunch tray.” Other residents were obseved “drinking milk from a milk carton.” The survey team interviewed the facility Certified Dietary Manager who confirmed that “the facility failed to pour milk products into a drinking glass for dining service.”
In a separate incident, an observation was made of a resident “in the resident’s room” with the “room door closed for privacy during a resident interview. At 3:28 PM, a staff member open the door without knocking or announcing herself.”
Additional observations were made in the 200 North Hall that revealed a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) “entered a resident’s room without knocking or announcing herself.” The surveyor interviewed the CNA who “confirmed that she had not knocked on the resident’s door before entering.” The surveyor interviewed the Director of Nursing who confirmed that “the facility failed to maintain dignity of residents by a failure to knock on the resident store before entering.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated May 17, 2017, the state survey team noted that the facility had failed to “initiate a fall management care plan upon admission and provide assessment for the use of a wheelchair.” The deficient practice by the nursing staff involved one resident of two residents that were “reviewed for falls.”
The surveyors also noted the facility’s failure “to provide safe storage of chemicals and toxins on two of four hallways and two of three shower rooms” that were observed. The survey team reviewed the facility policy titled: Fall Management dated November 2016 that reads in part:
“The facility will implement a fall management system that results in reducing patient falls. An individualized fall management care plan will be developed and initiated upon all patient admissions.”
“Patient Fall Management Care Planning: During the admission and readmission process, a fall management care plan will be initiated by the admitting nurse on all patients.”
The investigators reviewed a resident’s Hospice Notice of Election Statement Form dated May 3, 2017, that revealed that the resident “is an 86-year-old living at an assisted living facility who fell [and] was transferred to the hospital where [he] had a large ear hematoma drained.” The surveyor said that the “resident had a functional limitation with ambulation.”
A review of the resident’s Nursing Admission Progress Note dated May 9, 2017, revealed that the resident was “admitted from another skilled care facility [and that the] resident is alert and oriented to self and has a history of falls.” The Hospice Facilities Communication Log/Progress Note dated May 10, 2017, revealed that the nursing staff had checked in on the patient and “found him working himself down in the bed and legs coming off the bed [when a] staff nurse pulled him up in bed.”
The following morning, a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) “walking down the hallway saw the resident on the floor. A nurse was called to the room, a head to toe assessment was done and the resident was placed back into bed.” The surveyors noted that after reviewing the resident’s medical records and Care Plan dated May 11, 2017, there was “no documentation that the resident was care planned for falls until three days after admission and after the resident fell.”
The state surveyors interviewed the Assistant Director of Nursing that same day who confirmed that “the facility failed to develop an interim care plan related to falls.” The Assistant Director also confirmed that “the facility failed to put interventions in place to educate staff on how to care for [the resident] to prevent falls until after the resident had fallen at the facility.” The surveyors stated that the Assistant Director also confirmed that “the facility failed to assess the resident for a wheelchair upon admission.”
If you suspect your loved one has been abused or neglected while living as a resident in Life Care Center of Red Bank, call the Tennessee nursing home abuse lawyers at Nursing Home Law Center at (800) 926-7565 to stop the mistreatment now. Our network of attorneys fights aggressively on behalf of Hamilton County victims of mistreatment living in long-term facilities including nursing homes in Chattanooga.
Our experienced attorneys provide victims of nursing home abuse the legal representation they need against all those who caused them harm. Our network of attorneys can offer numerous legal options on how to proceed to obtain the financial compensation your family deserves. Contact us now to schedule a free case review to discuss how to obtain justice and resolve a financial compensation claim. We can begin working on your behalf starting today to ensure your rights are protected.
Our attorneys accept all personal injury claims, nursing home abuse suits, medical malpractice cases, and wrongful death lawsuits through a contingency fee agreement. This arrangement postpones the need to pay for legal services until after we have resolved your case through a negotiated out of court settlement or jury trial award. Let us work your case now to ensure your family receives monetary recovery for your damages. All information you share with our law offices will remain confidential.
Attorney Cameron Jehl
Licensed in Tennessee
Illinois Nursing Home Injury Attorney Nursing Home Law Center LLC Home