Not each case of abuse and neglect occurring in a nursing facility is as obvious to identify like when the resident has an unexplained broken bone or hematoma from a medical condition. In many incidents, the family does not know that their loved one is being mistreated or assaulted by other nursing home residents, caregivers, employees or visitors.
The Tennessee Nursing Home Law Center attorneys have represented many injured victims residing in Centre County nursing facilities. Our team of legal experts protect our client’s rights and ensure that they are adequately compensated for their financial damages. We can help your family too.
This Medicare/Medicaid-participating nursing facility is a "for profit" home providing services to residents of Tiptonville and Lake County, Tennessee. The 116-certified bed long-term care center is located at:
1034 Reelfoot Drive
Tiptonville, Tennessee, 38079
(731) 253-6681
In addition to providing 24-hour skilled nursing care, Reelfoot Manor Health and Rehabilitation Center also offers:
It is the legal responsibility of state and federal investigators to hold nursing homes accountable if they have violated rules and regulations that harmed or could have harmed a resident. These penalties include monetary fines and the denial of payment for Medicare services. Within the last three years, the government imposed one monetary penalty against Reelfoot Manor Health and Rehabilitation Center for $13,085 on April 20, 2017.
Also, during the last thirty-six months, the nursing home received three formally filed complaints and reported three serious issues that resulted in citations. Additional information concerning fines and penalties can be found on the Tennessee Department of Health Nursing Home Reporting Website concerning this nursing facility.
The Tennessee and federal government nursing home regulatory agencies routinely update their care home database system containing the complete list of all dangerous hazards, safety concerns, health violations, incident inquiries, opened investigations, and filed complaints. This information can be found on numerous websites including Medicare.gov and the TN 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 concerning health inspections, two out of five stars for staffing issues and four out of five stars for quality measures. The Lake County neglect attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center have found serious deficiencies and safety concerns at Reelfoot Manor Health and Rehabilitation Center that include:
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated May 3, 2018, the state investigators noted that the facility had failed to “ensure one resident was free from restraint.” The investigators reviewed the facility’s policy titled: Use of Physical Restraints that reads in part:
“Using devices connected to a chair that the resident cannot remove easily.” Before “placing a resident in [restaint], there shall be a pre-restraining assessment and review to determine the need for restraints. Restraint shall only be used upon the written order of a physician and after obtaining consent from the resident or their representative.”
“The resident placed in a restraint will be observed at least every thirty minutes by nursing personnel and an account of the resident’s condition shall be recorded in the resident’s medical record. Restrained residents must be repositioned at least every two hours on all shifts.”
The investigative team reviewed the resident’s medical records and Quarterly MDS (Minimum Data Set) Assessments dated November 17, 2017, and February 13, 2018, that shows that the resident had severe cognitive impairment and was “totally dependent on staff for all activities of daily living. The restraints and alarm section were blank.”
The investigator then reviewed the resident’s Care Plan dated February 14, 2018, that revealed that the resident “had a potential for discomfort, injury, and loss of autonomy related to the use of a specialized wheelchair with a safety belt in place and required total assistance with activities of daily living.” The interventions “included assisting to turn and reposition and provide incontinent care as needed.”
The surveyors continually observed the resident on May 2, 2018, at 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM while the resident “was seated in a wheelchair with a safety belt fastened and intact across his lap. The safety belt was not released, and [the resident’s] position and the wheelchair was not changed during a continuous observation.”
The survey team interviewed the facility Director of Nursing that day in the afternoon and “asked if it was acceptable not to complete a pre-assessment on a resident with a safety belt that could not be removed independently.” The Director replied, no, it is not acceptable” confirming that the “safety belt was considered a restraint.”
During an interview with the Assistant Director of Nursing, it was revealed that the resident did not have physician’s orders for the restraint and confirmed that it was unacceptable “for the resident to have a safety/restraint belt in place without physician’s orders.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated May 3, 2018, the state survey team noted the facility’s failure to “notify the physician” of a change in the resident’s condition. The investigators reviewed the facility’s policy titled: Changing Resident’s Condition or Status with the revised dated January 2018 that reads in part:
“The Nurse Supervision/Charge Nurse will notify the resident’s Attending Physician or On-Call Physician and consistent with the delegation, the resident’s representative when there has been an accident or incident involving the resident, which results in injury and has the potential for physician intervention.”
The investigators reviewed the facility’s Plan of Care for the resident dated March 19, 2018, that shows that the resident has “swallowing problems due to dysphagia [and] the potential for complications. Monitor/documents/report to the Medical Doctor as needed. Signs and symptoms of dysphagia (include) drooling and choking.”
The resident’s Nurse’s Notes dated April 26, 2018, revealed that the resident was eating supper and “started to choke.” The nursing staff attempted the Heimlich maneuver, and the resident “started to cough, back thrust was done.” Two days later, on April 20, 2018, the Nursing Note revealed that the resident “was eating suffer and started choking.” The nurse again conducted the Heimlich maneuver.”
The surveyors interviewed the facility Director of Nursing and asked if the resident “had a choking episode since his diet upgrade.” The Director replied, “He choked on meat and bread.” The investigators then asked about the two choking episodes “from the recent diet change from purée to mechanical soft [food, and if the physician should] have been notified of the choking episodes. The Director responded, “Yes.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated find March 20, 2018, the state survey team noted that the facility had failed to “provide care and services for the prevention, identification, and treatment of [bedsore].” The investigative team reviewed the facility’s policy titled: Giving a Bed Bath revised in October 2010 that reads in part:
“The purposes of this procedure are to promote cleanliness and observed the condition of the resident’s skin. During the bath, observe the resident skin for any redness, rashes, broken skin, tender places, irritation, reddish or blue-gray area of skin over a pressure point, blisters, or skin breakdown and document or report findings.”
The investigators reviewed the resident’s medical records an Annual MDS (Minimum Data Set) that revealed the resident had moderate, cognitive impairment and “requires extensive to total assistance for all Activities of Daily Living and was at risk for pressure ulcers.”
A review of the resident’s Care Plan revised on April 27, 2018, revealed that there was a “potential for alteration of skin integrity due to decreased mobility and incontinence.” The interventions were to include “inspect skin when providing care for alteration of skin integrity and notify the nurse if noted.”
The resident is “at risk for development of pressure ulcer [that is] related to the history of pressure ulcers.” Interventions included: “assess/record/monitor wound healing. Measure the length, width, and depth when possible. Assess and document the status of the wound parameter, and wound bed.” Monitor/document/report to the physician any changes in skin status [including] appearance, color, wound healing, signs and symptoms of infection, wound size and stage.”
The survey team observed a resident in the resident’s room receiving care by a Licensed Practical Nurse removing the resident’s “heel protectors boots and socks revealing dry skin and long thick toenails on both feet.” There was also a “small black discolored area to the tip of the left great toe.”
While the Wound Nurse documented the wound on the left great toe measuring 0.4 cm x 0.4 cm, with no signs or symptoms of infection, it “did not provide a wound description to include information on the type of bone, the stage of the wound, description of the wound bed, or whether there was any drainage or odor.”
The investigators interviewed the Director of Nursing who confirmed that the resident had a wound on the left great toe that was considered a Stage II pressure injury.” The Director also confirmed that the wound was now open and red and “has been bleeding some.” The Director “went down and saw [the wound] this morning and that she “expected nurses to document when a new wound was identified” claiming they should document the “size, described the room, the surrounding tissue, any odors, any drainage, and what type.”
The Director also confirmed that it was unacceptable “that the wound was not described in the documentation” saying it is inappropriate that the staff did “not remove socks or heel protectors from [the resident’s] feet during a bed bath.”
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated May 3, 2018, a surveyor noted that the nursing home had failed to “ensure appropriate fall interventions were implemented to prevent falls for one of two residents” sampled during a review. The investigators reviewed the facility’s policy titled: Fall and Fall Risk with the revised date of November 2017 that reads in part:
“Based on the previous evaluations and the current date, the staff will identify interventions related to the resident-specific risks and causes to try to prevent the resident from falling and try to minimize complications from falling.”
The investigators reviewed the resident’s Quarterly MDS (Minimum Data Set) and Brief Interview for Mental Status that indicated that the resident had “no cognitive impairment, but requires extensive assistance with one person physical assist for transfers, locomotion on the unit and toilet use.”
A review of the facility’s Incident report for falls documented that on April 6, 2018, that witnesses saw the resident “sliding out of the wheelchair onto the floor.” The facility developed an intervention therapy plan to evaluate the resident “for a different wheelchair.”
Ten days later on April 16, 2018, the resident “tumbled out of the wheelchair in the room while bending over to pick up a bottle cap up off the floor.” The resident’s injuries included a bruise to the left hand. The nursing staff developed an intervention plan for the resident “to call for assistance to retrieve items from the floor.”
The investigators interviewed the Therapy Director who confirmed that they do not evaluate residents for a different wheelchair but instead just gave the resident “another wheelchair.” The Assistant Director of Nursing confirmed that “there was not a new wheelchair brought in for the resident [saying] ‘We just gave him one that we had here at the nursing home.’”
Do you and your family believe your loved one has suffered injuries or harm while a resident at Reelfoot Manor Health and Rehabilitation Center? If so, contact the Tennessee nursing home abuse attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center at (800) 926-7565 now. Our network of attorneys fights aggressively on behalf of Lake County victims of mistreatment living in long-term facilities including nursing homes in Tiptonville.
Our seasoned attorneys represent residents who were harmed by caregiver negligence or abuse. We have years of experience in successfully resolving recompense claims to ensure our clients receive the compensation they deserve. Contact us now to schedule a free case review to discuss how to obtain justice and resolve a financial compensation claim. We can begin to work on your case now 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 postpones making payments to our legal firm until after we have successfully resolved your case through a jury trial award or negotiated settlement. We can begin representing you in your case today to ensure you receive adequate compensation for your damages. All information you share with our law offices will remain confidential.
Attorney Cameron Jehl
Licensed in Tennessee
Tennessee Nursing Home Injury Attorney Nursing Home Law Center LLC Home