When you bring your parents and family members to a nursing home you expect the best care possible and safe living conditions. You want to ensure that your loved ones receive the care that they could no longer provide for themselves. In order for New York nursing homes to be able to provide this kind of care, each facility needs to be well-inspected and staff must consistently follow up with patients. When nursing home staff members fail to notice new injuries, illnesses or unsanitary conditions, it is a form of nursing home negligence.
A recent story of nursing home negligence has shocked people in Albany and across the country after a patient was discovered with maggots in and around her catheter. It is unclear how long it had been since the patient had been properly bathed and looked over, but after a staff member discovered the maggots, it was still hours before the woman was eventually given a shower. She was subsequently taken to the hospital where doctors also discovered the woman had severely fractured her hip. Despite finding the maggots, nursing home staff recorded the incident as dead tissue.
Although this sort of story seems like it is an extremely rare occurrence, there was another nursing home incident regarding maggots earlier in the year. In that case, a patient’s airway was obstructed by maggots. The insects were only discovered when emergency medical responders were called to clear the woman’s throat.
These incidents are shocking reminders of what can happen in New York nursing homes. While the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services compiles data on nursing homes that require additional inspections, some of these nursing homes continue to remain categorized as “not-improved.” For these two nursing homes, there has been some improvement, but they will both have to pass two consecutive inspections with no problems before they can be cleared by the Centers.
Source: AnnArbor.com, “Inspectors see improvements at nursing home where maggots were found in catheter,” Cindy Heflin, Nov. 3, 2011
