In a recent exposé, ABC 27 investigated some disturbing incidents of nursing home abuse and neglect at several Golden Living nursing facilities in Central Pennsylvania.
Last summer, Attorney General Kathleen Kane filed a lawsuit against several facilities owned and operated by Golden Living Centers. The facilities were located in Cumberland and Dauphin counties.
However, after recent inspections of the facilities by the Department of Health, many severe and potentially life-threatening sanitary issues still remained.
At the West Shore facility on Poplar Church Road in Camp Hill, maggots were found inside a resident’s feeding tube.
The resident was sent to the hospital after someone removed the gauze around the feeding tube and saw more than 10 “moving objects” crawl out of it.
Additional worms were later found after the tube was cleaned properly. “Maybe this is why my stomach has been burning,” the patient reportedly said.
According to the medical report, the feeding tube looked as though it should have been replaced a long time ago.
In addition to the filthy feeding tube, unsanitary kitchen conditions were also found. The Department of Health reported that West Shore “failed to establish and maintain an infection control program.”
Up to 60 insects were found in the kitchen, and the food was not properly prepared, served, stored or distributed. The nutritional needs of many residents were also not met.
Health Inspectors found a long list of other nursing home violations during their time at the facility. Some of these include:
Residents wearing gowns soiled by their own bodily fluids
Shower stall floors with “feces-like brown substances”
Residents with neglected wounds that were improperly cleaned and cared for
Strong urine odor in the hallways
Incomplete neurological checks on residents
Failure to follow physicians’ orders
Dispersing incorrect medication to residents
Unclean residents’ rooms, including dirty and sticky floors
Although we cannot take away the pain and anguish from such deplorable nursing home abuse and neglect, we can support you in getting the full compensation your elderly loved one is entitled to have.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse, the nursing home abuse attorneys at Schmidt Kramer can get you the justice you deserve.
Call (717) 888-8888 or fill out our FREE Case Evaluation Form