Mistreating senior citizens living in nursing homes is an unacceptable, reprehensible, and disgraceful action done by the hands of caregivers, visitors, and other patients. Many families relocate their loved ones into the nursing home believing that they will receive the highest level of care in a safe environment. Unfortunately, neglect and abuse are an all too common occurrence that leaves victims harmed, injured, or dead.
If your loved one was injured while living in a Polk County nursing facility, contact the Florida nursing home affiliate attorneys now for immediate legal intervention. Let our team of abuse prevention lawyers work on your family’s behalf to ensure you are financially compensated for your monetary damages.
This center is a 120-certified bed Medicare and Medicaid-participating facility providing services to residents of Lakeland and Polk County, Florida. The "for-profit" long-term care home is located at:
1010 Carpenters Way
Lakeland, Florida 33809
(863) 815-0488
Wedgewood Healthcare Center
In addition to providing 24/7 skilled nursing care, Wedgewood Healthcare Center offers other services. Additional focused care includes short-term and long term care.
The facility also provides comprehensive rehab services, wound care, pulmonary care, IV (intervenous) care, post-stroke care, enteral nutrition, pain management, hospice, oncology care, dementia and memory care, and physical, occupational, and speech therapies.
Fined $75,839 for substandard care
The federal government and the state of Florida are authorized to penalize any nursing home with monetary fines or deny payment for Medicare services when the facility has been cited for serious violations of rules and regulations.
Within the last thirty-six months, investigators imposed three monetary penalties against Wedgewood Healthcare Center, citing substandard care. These penalties include a $9,760 fine on May 30, 2019, a $24,187 fine on December 20, 2017, and a $41,892 fine on September 04, 2016, for a total of $75,839. During this time, Medicare denied payment on two occasions, including on December 20, 2017, and September 04, 2016, due to a lack of quality care.
The nursing home received twenty-one complaints over the last three years that resulted in a violation citation. Additional information concerning the facility can be reviewed on the comprehensive Florida Adult Protective Services Website.
Call (800) 926-7565 Toll-Free for a No Obligation Consultation
The state of Florida and Medicare.com routinely update their comprehensive list of deficiencies online to reflect all 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 five out of five stars for quality measures.
The state investigators determined that the nursing home “failed to ensure that it had sufficient staffing to provide assistance to residents on one of seven (700 Hall) resident halls.” This deficient practice was related to “no assigned direct care staff present in the hallway.”
The state investigators “conducted an initial facility tour on November 4, 2018, between 6:02 AM and 6:45 PM.” During that time, “the staff posting for A-Wing identified [one staff member] as being assigned to the 700 Hall as well as [specific] rooms.” However, during the continued tour, the staff member was “either in one of her assigned rooms, taking out garbage to the dumpster, or in the employee lounge. All of these areas were checked [by a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)] present and the [assigned staff member] could not be found.”
Later that day, the investigators interviewed a resident who revealed that “there are some nights and weekends that staffing was good, that if he needed assistance, he gets it right away. He reported that other times on the weekend and at night, he does not get assistance and has to wait up to two hours for assistance.”
The resident indicated that “he reported he was physically unable to do for himself and needs the assistance [and] reported that the Friday night of November 2, 2018, was the last time he had to wait, and that he waited for one hour for assistance.” The surveyor “requested the resident give the time of the clock that was mounted on the wall in front of the resident’s bed and the resident was able to provide an accurate time.”
A second resident stated that “the facility’s short of CNAs often but mostly on nights and weekends. She reported that she needed assistance and has had to wait up to three hours for staff to come to her room after she calls them.”
Do you suspect that your loved one suffered injury or died prematurely while living at Wedgewood Healthcare Center? Contact the Florida nursing home abuse prevention lawyers at Nursing Home Law Center at (800) 926-7565 for immediate legal intervention. We represent Polk County victims of abuse and neglect in all areas, including Lakeland.
Our legal team invites you to discuss your case with us today through an initial, free claim consultation. Also, we provide a 100% “No Win/No-Fee” Guarantee, meaning you will not owe us anything until after we have secured a monetary recovery for your family. All information you share with our law offices will remain confidential.
Sources:
Attorney Blair N. Mendes, Esq.
Licensed in Florida
Illinois Nursing Home Injury Attorney Nursing Home Law Center LLC Home