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Daughters of Sarah Nursing Center received 27 citations for violations of public health code between 2017 and 2021, according to New York State Department of Health records accessed on July 16, 2021. The facility has also received three fines totaling $22,000 since 2014. The Albany nursing home’s citations resulted from a total of six inspections by state surveyors. The violations they describe include the following:
1. The nursing home did not adequately protect residents from abuse. Under Section 483.12 of the Federal Code, nursing home residents have “the right to be free from abuse.” An August 2020 citation found that Daughters of Sarah Nursing Center failed to ensure such for one resident. The citation specifically describes a resident with severe cognitive impairment who was abused by a resident with mildly impaired cognition. According to the citation the abuse in question involved “non-consensual sexual intrusion, touching intimate body parts or the clothing covering intimate body parts.” A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the movement of the victim to a new unit and the placement of the other resident on one-to-one observation and his movement to a different area to avoid contact with the victim.
2. The nursing home did not implement adequate measures to prevent accidents. Section 483.25 of the Federal Code requires nursing homes to provide residents with proper supervision and assistance devices to prevent them from sustaining accidents. A September 2018 citation found that Daughters of Sarah Nursing Center failed to ensure such for two residents. The citation states specifically that in the case of one resident, the facility failed to ensure a mattress was placed by her bedside as documented on her care card, and as such the resident fell out of her bed “and sustained an abrasion and small laceration on her forehead.” In the case of another resident, the citation describes the facility’s failure to ensure the resident was wearing “Derma-saver leggings” as documented on her care card, resulting in “a skin tear to her left lower extremity.” A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the re-education of nursing staff.
3. The nursing home did not adequately prevent the use of unnecessary drugs. Section 483.45 of the Federal Code requires that every nursing home resident’s drug regimen “be free from unnecessary drugs.” A July 2017 citation found that Daughters of Sarah Nursing Center failed to ensure such. The citation states specifically that two residents were not properly monitored to ensure the effectiveness of pain medication, and a third resident was not properly monitored to determine with their symptoms were alleviated after the administration of anti-anxiety medication. A plan of correction undertaken by the facility included the education of nursing staff.
The attorneys at the Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC work diligently to protect the rights of nursing home residents. Please contact us to discuss in the event you have a potential case involving neglect or abuse.
