As more senior citizens enter their retirement years in America, there is a significant risk of abuse, mistreatment, and neglect on the rise in nursing facilities nationwide. Many of the elderly in Tennessee are our state’s most vulnerable and susceptible to abuse and neglect at the hands of caregivers or other residents. Any mistreatment could cause severe physical, emotional or mental harm.
The Tennessee Nursing Home Law Center attorneys have represented many Macon County nursing home residents who were injured by others. We can help your family too. Contact us now to discuss how to pursue a claim for monetary recovery to ensure your losses are restored. Our legal team will take immediate legal action to hold those responsible for your loved one’s harm. Act quickly before the state statute of limitations expires concerning your claim.
This nursing home is a "for profit" center providing cares and services to residents of Red Boiling Springs and Macon County, Tennessee. The Medicare/Medicaid-participating 119-certified bed nursing facility is located at:
309 Main St
Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee, 37150
(615) 699-2238
In addition to providing around-the-clock skilled nursing care, the Palace Health Care and Rehabilitation Center also offers:
When investigators working for the federal government identify severe violations of nursing home rules and regulations, they can penalize the facility by a denial of payment for Medicare services or impose monetary fines. Within the last three years, state and federal regulators have not fined The Palace Health Care and Rehabilitation Center.
However, the nursing facility did receive one formally filed complaints and self-reported two serious issues that resulted in citations. Additional information about fines and penalties can be found on the Tennessee Department of Health Nursing Home Reporting Website concerning this nursing home.
Families can review comprehensive research results on Medicare.gov and the Tennessee Department of Public Health nursing home database that detail every safety concerns, health violations, opened investigations, incident inquiries, dangerous hazards, and filed complaints. The publically-available information is valuable to determine the level of health, medical and hygiene care long-term care facilities in the local community provide their residents.
According to Medicare, this facility maintains an overall rating of one out of five stars, including one out of five stars concerning health inspections, three out of five stars for staffing issues and four out of five stars for quality measures. The Macon County neglect attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center have found serious deficiencies and safety concerns at The Palace Health Care and Rehabilitation Center that include:
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated October 4, 2017, a state investigator noted the nursing home's failure to “store respiratory equipment in a sanitary manner for one resident.” The investigators reviewed the facility policy titled: General Administration of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) or Bi-Level Positive Airwave Pressure (BiPAP) dated August 24, 2017, that read in part:
“Resident care equipment including reusable items and durable medical equipment will be cleaned and disinfected according to current CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommendations for disinfection and the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) blood-borne pathogens.”
“Critical and semi-critical items will be sterilized/disinfected in a central processing location and stored appropriately until used. Equipment to be processed and labeled with at least the following information: that the equipment is contaminated.”
The investigators reviewed a resident’s medical records and observed a resident in the resident’s room with a BiPAP tubing “on the bed and not stored in a bag.” Five minutes later, the resident was observed with the BiPAP “tubing on the floor next to the bed.”
The survey team interviewed a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) providing the resident care concerning the BiPAP tubing who said that the tubing “should not be on the floor.” During an interview with the facility Director of Nursing, it was confirmed that the BiPAP tubing should be in the bag and not on the floor. The Director said that the “facility failed to store respiratory equipment in a sanitary manner.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated October 4, 2017, the state investigators documented that the facility had failed to “ensure one of five handrails on the 600 Hall was free from broken, jagged edges.”
The surveyors observed the facility during an initial tour on October 2, 2017, and saw “a handrail outside of Room 607, on the same site as the door hinge, had a broken, jagged edge.” The survey team interviewed the Maintenance Director two days later who revealed that “the facility did not have a policy or procedure for regularly checking the handrails.” The Director stated that “he was unaware [that] the handrail outside of Room 607 had a jagged edge” and confirmed that “the facility failed to ensure the handrail outside Room 607 was free of a broken, jagged edge.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated July 18, 2018, the state investigators noted the facility's failure to "report an allegation of abuse within the two-hour time frame as required by the State Agency.” The deficient practice by the nursing staff involved two residents of five sampled residents reviewed for abuse.” The surveyors reviewed the facility policy titled Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation & Misappropriation that was effective November 30, 2014, and revised on November 28, 2017, that reads in part:
“Any employee who witnesses or has knowledge of an act of abuse or an allegation of abuse is obligated to report such information immediately, but not later than two hours after the allegation is made.”
The state investigators reviewed a resident’s medical records, Quarterly MDS (Minimum Data Set) and Brief Interview for Mental Status (BIMS) showing that the resident had severe cognitive impairment.” However, a subsequent BIMS report indicates that the resident did not have cognitive impairment.”
The survey team reviewed a Facility Investigation report that revealed “an allegation of resident-to-resident abuse that occurred on January 29, 2018, at 11:00 PM.” The document shows that “abuse protocol was initiated by [a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)].” However, the LPN “did not report the allegation of resident-to-resident abuse to the Director of Nursing until November 30, 2018 [the next day], when she arrived at work.”
Documentation shows that the Director of Nursing “reported the allegation of abuse to the State Agency” the following morning and not within the specified two-hour time frame. The Director confirmed that the LPN “failed to report the allegation of resident-to-resident abuse immediately according to the facility policy.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated July 25, 2017, the state survey team noted that the nursing home had failed to “ensure proper care was provided for an indwelling urinary catheter.” The deficient practice by the nursing staff involved one of three residents observed for catheter care.” The investigators also said that the nursing home had failed to “ensure the catheter bag did not touch the floor for two of three residents reviewed for an indwelling urinary catheter.”
The investigators reviewed the facility policy titled: Catheter Care – Urinary that reads in part:
“Wash perineal area with soap and water front to back. Rinse and dry. Clean catheter tubing with soap and water, starting close to the urinary meatus, cleaning in a circular motion.”
The survey team reviewed the resident’s Medical Records and Care Plan dated January 26, 2015, that revealed the resident “has a chronic Foley catheter with risk for infection. Approaches: Provide catheter care every shift and as needed per policy.” The surveyors observed the resident in the resident’s room at numerous times on July 24, 2017, when their “indwelling urinary catheter bag [was] touching the floor.”
As a part of the investigation, a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) providing the resident care was interviewed and asked: “if the catheter bag should be lying on the floor.” The LPN responded, “it is not supposed to be touching the floor.”
The investigators observed the resident in the resident’s room. A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) “washed hands, donned clean gloves, removed [the resident’s] brief, cleansed the [resident’s] skin around the urinary meatus, wiped the catheter tubing with the same washcloth, obtained a new washcloth, dried the area around the urinary meatus, and dried the catheter tubing using the same washcloth.” The investigator said that the CNA “failed to change the washcloth between cleansing the urinary meatus and the catheter tubing.”
The investigative team interviewed the Director of Nursing and “asked if the indwelling catheter bag should be touching the floor?” The Director responded, “No ma’am, we are having trouble with the low beds, and we’ll fix that right now.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated October 4, 2017, the state survey team noted that the nursing home had failed to “ensure two of five handrails were securely affixed to the wall on the 600 Hall, and one of five handrails was inaccessible on the 600 Hall.”
The survey team observed the facility during an initial tour on October 2, 2017, that revealed: “a handrail outside of the Social Worker office on the 600 Hall was loose and easily unattached from the wall when touched.” During the observations, it was revealed, “the handrail between Rooms 612 and 616 was loose and not securely attached to the wall.” Also, there was a linen cart “blocking access to the handrail.”
The investigators interviewed the Licensed Practical Nurse providing residents care on the 600 Hall who confirmed that “the handrails presented a safety hazard for residents.” Additionally, the Maintenance Director stated that the facility “did not have a policy or procedure for regularly checking the handrails.” The Director stated that “he had not been informed that the handrails need repair until discovered by the surveyors on October 2, 2017, [and] confirmed the facility failed to ensure the handrails were accessible and securely affixed to the walls.”
Do you have suspicions that your loved one as a resident in The Palace Health Care and Rehabilitation Center has was abused, neglected or mistreated? If so, take steps now by contacting the Tennessee nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center at (800) 926-7565. Our network of attorneys fights aggressively on behalf of Macon County victims of mistreatment living in long-term facilities including nursing homes in Red Boiling Springs.
Allow our seasoned nursing home abuse injury attorneys to file your claim for compensation against every party responsible for causing harm to your loved one. Our years of experience can ensure a successful financial resolution to make sure your family receives the monetary recompense they deserve. Contact us now to schedule a free case review to discuss how to obtain justice and resolve a financial recovery claim. We can begin working now on your claim for compensation to ensure your rights are protected.
We accept every case involving nursing home abuse, wrongful death or personal injury through a contingency fee arrangement. This agreement will postpone the need to make a payment for our legal services until after our attorneys have resolved your case through a jury trial award or negotiated out of court settlement. We can provide legal representation starting today to ensure your family is adequately compensated for your damages. All information you share with our law offices will remain confidential.
Attorney Cameron Jehl
Licensed in Tennessee
Tennessee Nursing Home Injury Lawyer Nursing Home Law Center LLC Home