This 131-bed nursing home received a “below average” for its Overall rating, according to Medicare’s 2012 annual report on nursing homes. Additionally, the facility received a “much below average” for its Health Inspections ratings. Bethel Care Center was cited with 5 health deficiencies. These include the facility’s:
- Failure to provide care by qualified persons according to each resident’s written plan of care;
- Failure to give residents proper treatment to prevent new bed (pressure) sores or heal existing bed sores; and
- Failure to ensure that the nursing home area is free from accident hazards, and provide adequate supervision to prevent avoidable accidents.
Medicare also identified several complaints and incidents associated with the Bethel Care Center nursing home. These include the Bethel Care Center’s:
- Failure to hire only people with no legal history of abusing, neglecting or mistreating residents, or report and investigate any acts or reports of abuse, neglect or mistreatment of residents;
- Failure to develop and implement policies for screening and training employees, and the prevention, identification, investigation, and reporting of any abuse, neglect, mistreatment and misappropriation of property; and
- Failure to ensure that the nursing home area is safe, easy to use, clean and comfortable for residents, staff and the public.
The Minnesota Department of Health has substantiated several instances of nursing home neglect and abuse.
- On June 2010, MDH investigators made an unannounced visit to Bethel Care Center. The special investigator noted that water was leaking from a number of residents’ ceilings. The facility was found to be in violation of maintaining a long-term care center in a safe and orderly fashion. [Report no. H5295084]
- On July 2010, MDH substantiated a report of abuse on the part of an employee of the facility. It was determined that that the alleged perpetrator dragged a resident with severe impairment across the floor from the resident’s toilet to his bed. The alleged perpetrator was also reported to have been verbally abusive to the resident, as well. [Report no. H5295085]
- On September 2011, MDH substantiated a report of neglect wherein the care center failed to properly identify a pressure (bed) sore forming on a resident’s heel. Months later, as a result, one of the resident’s heels was found to be gangrenes, and his foot required some amount of surgery. The nursing home was found to have been negligently responsible for failing to identify and treat the pressure sore. [Report no. H5295092] For more information about this investigation, please see our ealier blog posting by clicking here.
The Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm represents clients in cases involving catastrophic injury caused by nursing homes and other care facilities that fail to provide proper care. If you believe your loved one has been harmed due to a nursing home’s failures, take action and contact the Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm online or call us toll-free at (877) 552-2873 to set up a no-cost, no-obligation consultation.
