New York Nursing Home Fines

The federal government has fined two New York nursing homes after it was determined that they provided residents with poor care.

According to Syracuse.com, the two nursing homes are located in central New York, one in Oswego and another in Syracuse proper. Rosewood Heights in Syracuse received a $16,000 fine and Pontiac Nursing Home in Oswego got hit with a $20,247 penalty. The fines were handed down by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

The report from Syracuse.com notes that the Oswego nursing home was fined following an inspection in February that found numerous violations, some which were deemed as putting residents in “immediate jeopardy” for their safety and well-being. There were 18 deficiencies noted by CMMS inspectors. Five were the most serious issued by the agency.

In one incident, the entire nursing home could have been at risk of serious injuries or death. One resident was found to have started a fire in her room after smoking a cigarette and dumping the hot ashes in a trash can. Luckily, the staff was able to keep the fire contained to the trash can. The staff, however, were cited for not properly inspecting the resident’s belongings when she was admitted, according to Syracuse.com.

The Oswego nursing home also was fined for not properly investigating falls and injuries among residents to check for signs of potential abuse or neglect. In Syracuse, the Rosewood Heights nursing home had poor inspections conducted three times in 2012. Syracuse.com notes that Rosewood Heights was listed in 2012 as one of the nation’s worst nursing homes for severe deficiencies that put residents at risk of abuse, neglect, injuries, and death.

The failed inspections there have put Rosewood Heights on notice that they could lose their Medicare and Medicaid funding by later this year or early next year. However, a decision was recently made to close the facility, according to Syracuse.com.

Nursing Home Residents At Risk

Based on our previous reports, more and more nursing home residents are being put at risk of serious injuries or death resulting from abuse or neglect at the hands of their caretakers. Less experienced and skilled nursing home staff members combined with other factors, including a rise in the number of for-profit nursing homes have also resulted from severe budget cutbacks at many nursing homes nationwide and in New York.

We recently reported that the National Center on Elder Abuse released data showing that nearly 60 percent of nursing home staff members have witnessed abuse or neglect of residents.

Early signs of potential abuse or neglect at a nursing home include bedsores, noticeable weight loss, and injuries that have resulted from falls. Many times, based on our reports, falls could result from improper supervision by nursing home staff.