Two Maryland Nursing Homes on list of worst facilities
An article in the Baltimore Sun highlighted several examples of bad care which landed two Maryland nursing homes on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ most recent list of the worst nursing homes in the country. The homes were designated “Special Focus Facilities” because of inspections which have revealed serious violations of nursing home regulations and patterns of poor care that has not been corrected over a prolonged period of time.
>>PRIOR POST (4/27/2008): Resources to identify poor performing nursing homes
The two Maryland nursing homes listed among the 131 worst performing facilities in the country are:
- ManorCare Rossville in Baltimore County, Maryland
- Waldorf Center in Charles County, Maryland
The Baltimore ManorCare nursing home was added to the list in January, and it continues to be designated as a facility that has “not improved.” Another Maryland ManorCare nursing home, Heartland Healthcare in Hyattsville, was removed from the most recent list after being listed for 18 months. Waldorf Center was placed on the list last month.
According to the Baltimore Sun’s review of inspection reports, some of the problems found included:
- A 70 year old resident at ManorCare-Rossville sustained a serious fracture after falling out of the nursing home bed. Although the resident was identified as a high risk for falling and physician orders called for the bed to be in the lowest position with mats on the floor, the bed was in the highest position when she fell.
- Another ManorCare-Rossville resident died over 11 hours after a nurses note indicated that a physician ordered Morphine. The medication was never provided because it did not arrived from the pharmacy and the nursing home did not have morphine available in an emergency drug box.
- At Waldorf Center, reports noted a failure to internally investigate or report to the state a serious incident where a resident who was admitted with a history of heart disease and a “change in mental status” was found hanging over a table in his room with a bed sheet tied around his neck.
- A resident at Waldorf Center was given artificial hydration and nutrition over a significant period of time, despite the resident’s directive that she did not want to receive life sustaining treatments.
MARYLAND NURSING HOME LAWYERS
The Maryland Nursing Home Lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. investigate potential cases for neglect and abuse which result in serious or life-threatening injuries. If you suspect that an injury suffered by a friend or family member was caused by poor care, request a free consultation and claim evaluation.
Did anyone look at the pharmacy involved in these 2 nursing homes? In case you are wondering, it happens to be Omnicare at Annapolis Junction for both of them. That would have something to do with the Manor Care Rossville morphine problem.
The nurse to Patient ratio must be reviewed. It is time that someone speak up. We can no longer opperate at 75mph in a 30mph nursing zone. The voice of the nurse must be heard in the halls of congress one again.