The disabled, infirmed and elderly are often subjected to neglect and abuse in nursing homes, leaving family members upset of the thought of mistreatment. Many times, the harm to a loved one is the result of a lack of supervision, untrained staff, or bad hiring practices. In some incidents, the resident is victimized through sexual assault or resident-to-resident abuse.
If your loved one is the victim of mistreatment, the New Mexico Nursing Home Law Center attorneys can provide immediate legal help. Our team of dedicated lawyers have assisted many injured victims residing in Eddy County nursing homes and can help your family too. We can begin working on your case now to ensure you are adequately compensated for your losses and those responsible for causing the harm are held legally accountable.
This Medicare/Medicaid-participating nursing facility is a "not for profit" home providing services to residents of Carlsbad and Eddy County, New Mexico. The 112-certified bed long-term care center is located at:
1905 West Pierce Street
Carlsbad, New Mexico, 88220
(575) 885-3161
In addition to providing around-the-clock skilled nursing care, the facility also offers:
Both New Mexico and the federal government can impose a monetary fine or deny payments through Medicare when a nursing facility has been found to violate established regulations and rules. The higher the monetary fine, the more serious the violation is that likely harmed or could have harmed one or more residents at the nursing home. Within the last three years, investigators imposed monetary penalties against Northgate Unit of Lakeview Christian Home Nursing on two occasions including an $18,297 on March 1, 2017, and a $19,805 fine on June 9, 2017.
Over the last thirty-six months, this nursing facility has received five formally filed complaints and self-reported a serious issue that resulted in a citation. Additional documentation about fines and penalties can be found on the New Mexico Department of Health Nursing Home Reporting Website concerning this nursing facility.
The state of New Mexico and federal government regularly updates their long-term care home database systems with complete details of all dangerous hazards, health violations, safety concerns, incident inquiries, opened investigations, and filed complaints. The search results can be found on numerous online sites including Medicare.gov and the NM Department of Public Health website.
According to Medicare, this facility maintains an overall rating of one out of five stars, including one out of five stars involving health inspections, four out of five stars for staffing issues and one out of five stars for quality measures. The Eddy County neglect attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center have found serious deficiencies, hazard violations and safety concerns at Northgate Unit of Lakeview Christian Home Nursing that include:
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated November 17, 2017, the state investigator documented the facility's failure to "ensure that the Power of Attorney (POA responsible party) was notified of the skin condition for [a resident] reviewed for Notification of Change. This deficient practice has the potential to prevent the POA from making decisions regarding treatment and advocating on behalf of the resident."
The investigative team reviewed the resident's Progress Notes dated September 20, 2017, that showed that the POA saw "an abrasion on [the resident's] left anterior (situated in the front) hip and redness on both inner thighs while a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) was changing the resident's soiled diapers." At that time, the Registered Nurse (RN) measured the abrasion, and the POA reported the findings to the Director of Nursing.
As a part of the investigation, an interview was conducted with the Power of Attorney on the afternoon of November 16, 2017, who stated that "she did not have any knowledge of a rash or reddened buttock [on the resident]." The POA said that "I was the one that found them, and I was not notified about the rash.
The POA stated that the rash in the groin area were open wounds and 'I took pictures of the wounds and sent them to the state' that was on September 19, 2017." The POA said that "I did not know if they had been there several days, they did not call me about it."
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated June 9, 2017, the state investigator noted that the nursing home's failure to "ensure that reportable incidents were reported to the State Agency within 24 hours and that a follow-up report was submitted to the State Agency within five days of the incident."
The Nursing Home also failed to thoroughly investigate the incidents involving six residents "reviewed for incidents of elopement and accidents. This deficient practice has the potential to prevent the facility from determining the cause of the incident, identifying staff educational needs, and implementing needed changes that could affect the eighty-six residents residing in the facility."
The investigator stated that "if the facility does not report incidents, the facility is unable to assure residents are free from possible harm." In one incident, a resident's nurse Progress Notes revealed that on April 12, 2017, the resident "sustained a tibia (long bone of the lower leg between the knee and the ankle/fibula (long bone on the side of the tibia) [fractured] leg." At that time, the resident was "being transferred from the transfer lift to an electric wheelchair, when the wheelchair moved."
At that time, the movement of the wheelchair caused "the resident to begin sliding, her legs to bend and her knees impacting the foot pedals of the wheelchair. This incident was not reported to the State Survey Agency until" six days later. The Five-Day Investigation Report for [the resident] and this incident was sent to the State Survey Agency on April 21, 2017. However, this report had no documentation to indicate what preventative or educational processes were provided to prevent this type of incident from occurring again."
The state survey team interviewed the facility Social Services Director (SSD) on the afternoon of June 6, 2017, who stated that "she completed the incident report on April 18, 2017 [six days after the incident] because that is when we knew the leg was broken. The SSD stated she could not answer for the previous Director of Nursing who had completed the five-day investigation report. The SSD said, 'what would you suggest for a conclusion?'"
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated June 9, 2017, the state investigators noted that the nursing home had failed to "seek immediate medical attention for a resident experiencing an injury" and "failed to request the results of an x-ray in a timely manner" and "failed to obtain the necessary medical device to immobilize the leg as ordered by the physician."
The investigators also documented the facility's failure to "request a pain medication that would address the resident's increasing pain" and "failed to administer medication as ordered by the physician to treat muscle spasms for [a resident] reviewed for injuries. This failure likely resulted in [the resident] experiencing increased pain after sustaining a tibia/fibula [fractured] leg."
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated to September 20, 2017, the state investigators documented that the facility had failed to "ensure physician's/physician extender visits were conducted every sixty days for [three residents] reviewed for physician visits. This failure could likely result in a resident change in condition to go unnoticed and delay treatment."
An interview with the facility Director of Nursing revealed that "due to unforeseen circumstances], the resident's physician had not made grounds as required by state and federal nursing home rules and regulations.
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated August 11, 2018, the state surveyors noted that the nursing home had failed to "assure that medications on the West Wing were not expired. The deficient practice is likely to affect [all thirty] residents on the West Wing. The use of expired medications is likely to cause residents to receive medications which are less effective due to the breakdown a chemical makeup, leading to the less than optimal benefits for medications."
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated August 11, 2018, the state investigators documented that the facility had failed to "maintain an effective pest control program by not ensuring the facility was free of insects and rodents. This deficient practice could likely expose all seventy-one residents listed on the resident census." A lack of a pest control program could lead to "contaminated food products and the spread of infection/disease (by way of a carrier (cockroaches/rodents)), which could lead to illness in the residents."
The state investigative team conducted an initial tour of the facility on the afternoon of August 5, 2018 and observed live cockroaches in the kitchen "on the shelf and the chemical storage closet." Two days later, the survey team conducted a follow-up observation of the kitchen area where live roaches were found "in the chemical storage closet" and small live cockroaches "in the dry storage area under the mat in front of the pan-drying shelf." A mousetrap was seen on the floor. However, there were "pieces of old bread smashed into the holes of a nonslip mat in the back of the dry storage.
An investigator interviewed a resident at the facility on the afternoon of August 9, 2018, who stated, "I do not like the dead roaches in the bathroom where I have to go. I have told them about this. I have to step on them when I use that restroom, and I do not like the way it feels!" The resident also said that "mice had been seen in the resident's room and around the facility."
The investigative team observed a resident's restroom that afternoon "on the West Wing of the facility" and found that "the floor on the toilet revealed the presence of small dead cockroaches."
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated August 11, 2018, the state investigators documented that the nursing home had failed to "furnish residents with accurate information on how to [contact] the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman. This failed practice has the potential to affect the seventy-one residents" at the facility.
The state surveyors participated in a Resident Council Meeting on the morning of August 7, 2018. During the meeting, "the group stated that the Ombudsman information posted in the hallway was not right. They stated that they tried to call but the number listed was disconnected."
As a part of the investigation, the survey team called the listed phone number for the ombudsman and received a message that "the number had been disconnected." The investigators interviewed the Administrator on the morning of August 11, 2018, who stated that "someone must have taken down the correct number."
If you believe that your loved one suffered abuse, mistreatment or neglect while residing at Northgate Unit of Lakeview Christian Home Nursing, call the law offices of the New Mexico nursing home abuse lawyers at Nursing Home Law Center at (800) 926-7565 now. Our network of attorneys fights aggressively on behalf of Eddy County victims of mistreatment living in long-term facilities including nursing homes in Carlsbad. Our skilled attorneys provide legal representation in victim cases involving nursing home abuse when it occurs in private and public nursing facilities.
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 on your behalf 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 arrangement. This agreement postpones your need to make a payment for our legal services until after your case is successfully resolved through a negotiated out of court settlement or jury trial award. We offer each client a "No Win/No-Fee" Guarantee, meaning all fees are waived if we cannot obtain compensation to recover your damages. Let our team begin working on your case today to ensure you receive adequate compensation. All information you share with our law offices will remain confidential.
Sources:
Carl R. Wilander, Esq.
Licensed in New Mexico
Chicago Nursing Home Injury Attorney Nursing Home Law Center LLC Home