After the Department of Health investigated The Gardens at Scranton, surveyors reported it did not comply with Federal Regulations when failing to: ensure consistent resident accessibility to the nurse call bell system to request assistance from staff for a resident; implement nursing procedures designed to timely respond to changes in resident conditions, consistently provide necessary wound treatment to a resident; and ensure clinical records were readily accessible and systematically organized for a resident.
The nurse call bell system is important because many nursing home residents are not able to safely go find a nurse or nurse assistant when they need help. Whether it is to go to the bathroom or to let the nurses know they are not feeling well, it is a critical safety feature for the residents to get the attention of their caregivers.
Families who are considering a nursing home may wish to review the recent surveys done by the Department of Health as part of the decision-making process. As an attorney who works on nursing home neglect cases, I believe surveys put nursing homes on notice of possible systemic problems and points out danger to residents. We want nursing home residents to be safe and we want facilities to stop creating situations where residents are unnecessarily hurt.
If you or a loved one has been neglected or abused in a nursing home, call one of the Pennsylvania Nursing Home lawyers at Schmidt Kramer. Our phone number is (717) 888-8888.