This 105–bed nursing home received a “below average “ for its Health Inspections rating, according to Medicare’s 2012 annual inspection. Westwood Health Care Center was cited with several health deficiencies, including:
- 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 provide necessary care and services to maintain or improve the highest well being of each resident;
- Failure to ensure that residents with limited range of motion receive appropriate treatment and services to increase range of motion or prevent further decrease in range of motion;
- Failure to conduct initial and periodic assessments of each resident’s functional capacity; and
- Failure to develop a complete care plan that meets all the resident’s needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
Medicare has also identified several complaints and incidents associated with the Westwood Health Care Center nursing home, including the facility’s:
- 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;
- Failure to ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provide adequate supervision to prevent avoidable accidents; and
- Failure to make sure that the nursing home area is safe, easy to use, clean and comfortable for residents, staff and the public.
Plus, the Minnesota Department of Health has substantiated two reports of unacceptable conditions at the nursing home:
- In October 2010, MDH substantiated a report of neglect resulting in resident injury wherein a resident was found collapsed in a stairwell, with her wheelchair on top of her. She was taken to the hospital where it was determined that she had sustained a number of rib fractures. Because the facility failed to supervise the resident adequately, it was found negligently responsible for her injuries when she fell. [Report no. H5182049]
- In October 2011, an MDH investigator made an unannounced visit to Westwood Health Care Center. The investigator found numerous instances of the facility’s failure to adequately maintain its physical plant. The investigator reported mold growth, improperly maintained toilets, and dysfunctional air conditioning units in residences’ rooms. [Report no. H5182052]
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.
