Coronavirus Update: Impact on Nursing Home Patients Learn More ›
Are you concerned that your loved one living in a nursing facility might be the victim of mistreatment? Were they injured in a preventable fall or develop avoidable bedsores because the nursing home neglected to provide adequate supervision or nursing care? Did the facility’s caregivers, visitors, or other patients physically, verbally, or sexually abuse your loved one?
The North Carolina Nursing Home Law Center attorneys fight aggressively to maintain the rights of Guilford County nursing home patients. Our team of abuse prevention lawyers uses the law to obtain financial compensation for victims who want to seek justice for their injuries. Contact us now so we can begin working on your case today.
This long-term care center is a 199-certified bed "for-profit" home providing services to residents of High Point and Guilford County, North Carolina. The Medicare and Medicaid-participating facility is located at:
707 North Elm Street
High Point, North Carolina 27262
(336) 885-0141
Meridian Center Nursing Home
In addition to providing around the clock skilled nursing care, Meridian Center Nursing Home offers other services. Additional focused care includes short-stay care, IV (intravenous) therapy, respite care, hospice, wound care, dementia and memory care, colostomy care, and restorative services involving physical, speech and occupational therapies.
Fined $321,963 for substandard care
The investigators working for the state of North Carolina and the federal government have the legal authority to impose monetary fines and deny payment for Medicare services if the nursing home has been cited for serious violations of established regulations and rules.
Within the last thirty-six months, investigators imposed five monetary penalties against Meridian Center Nursing Home, citing substandard care. These penalties include a massive $157,505 fine on January 02, 2019, a $85,043 fine on June 22, 2017, a $14,115 fine on January 19, 2017, a $13,627 fine on January 19, 2017, and a $51,673 fine on July 13, 2016, for a total of $321,963. During this time, Medicare denied payment on two occasions due to a lack of quality care.
The nursing home received twenty-five complaints over the last three years that resulted in a violation citation. Additional documentation about fines and penalties can be found on the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Adult Protective Services Website.
Call (800) 926-7565 Toll-Free for a No Obligation Consultation
The state of North Carolina and the federal government regularly updates its long-term care home database system with complete details of all deficiencies, citations, and violations.
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 state investigators determined “the facility failed to respond to phone calls to the facility and on-site visit by a police officer” which “resulted in the delay in emergency services, including resuscitation” involving one resident “reviewed for quality care.”
Specifically, “the resident was found to be unresponsive, in her room, with the call light on,” at approximately 10:07 PM where Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) “efforts were unsuccessful and discontinued. The resident was pronounced dead at 10:46 PM.”
The survey team determined the facility with had an Immediate Jeopardy situation when the resident “was found to be unresponsive, in her room, with the call light on. The Immediate Jeopardy continued after the resident was found unresponsive due to the failure the facility to ensure appropriate and timely response to call lights, answering telephone calls, responding to visitors at the front door when the magnetic lock was engaged.”
The investigators reviewed an audio recording from the City of High Point 911 Dispatch Service that revealed that the resident had made a call [to 911] at 8:50 PM. The recording indicates that the resident “could be heard stating she could not breathe. Despite multiple attempts by the call taker, the resident was unable to provide details regarding her location. A review of the documentation associated with the call the City of High Point Event Report showed that, at 8:50 PM, they received a call from a cellular phone.”
Further review indicated a ‘ping’ on the resident’s phone indicated that the resident was 0.97 miles “from the cellular phone tower, “which would have put the caller near or at the facility. At 8:52 PM, numerous attempts were made to call the facility, but there was no answer, and there was no emergency number on file.”
The supervisor stated that not knowing the exact location; they dispatched a police officer to canvas the area. The officer states that they arrived at the facility at 9:07 PM and knocked on the front door and rang the bell on the intercom service at the front door for several minutes.
There was no response from those assigned to take care of the resident. The Assistant indicated the resident’s call light was on, but “there was another resident in another room hollering very loudly,” and the Assistant went to the resident’s room to provide that resident care.
Finally, the nurse and officer “entered the room and discovered the resident lying on the bed, not breathing, and was unresponsive.”
Has your loved one been being mistreated or neglected while living at Meridian Center Nursing Home? Contact the North Carolina nursing home abuse lawyers at Nursing Home Law Center at (800) 926-7565 for immediate legal intervention. We represent Guilford County victims of abuse and neglect in all areas, including High Point.
Our law firm provides every potential client an initial free case consultation. Also, we offer a 100% “No Win/No-Fee” Guarantee, meaning you do not owe us any money until we have received a monetary recovery on your behalf. All information you share with our law offices will remain confidential.
Sources:
Attorney Carl R. Wilander, Esq.
Licensed in North Carolina
Chicago Nursing Home Injury Attorney Nursing Home Law Center LLC Home