The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has completed its investigation of neglect concerns at the Golden Livingcenter Lake Ridge nursing home in Roseville, Minnesota. A complaint was filed with the Department alleging that one of the facility’s residents did not have her PICC-line (peripherally inserted central catheter) dressing changed which resulted in an infection.
MDH investigated the matter and found that even though the facility had a policy and procedure for PICC line dressing changes, multiple nurses who cared for the resident during the 25-day stay at the facility failed to changed the dressing, resulting in infection and hospitalization. The reason the resident was in the nursing home in the first place was because the resident has severe malnutrition and required total parental nutrition delivered continuously through the PICC line. The PICC line dressing changes were to be completed every 7 days, but when the resident was transferred to the hospital, the emergency room staff discovered the dressing had not been changed at all during the 25 days that the patient had been at the nursing home.
The MDH determined that the Golden Livingcenter Lake Ridge nursing home is responsible for neglect of the facility’s resident. [Case no. H5105109]
This is not the first investigation of the Golden Livingcenter Lake Ridge nursing home by the MDH. In August 2010, the MDH found neglect based on traumatic injuries caused by the nursing home staff’s failure to follow proper procedures for assisting the resident transfer from bed to chair. [Case no. H5105095].
Medicare rates nursing homes, including this 175-bed nursing home facility. In recent health inspections, deficiencies cited by Medicare include Golden Livingcenter Lake Ridge’s failure to:
- Resolve each resident’s complaints quickly;
- 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;
- Give residents proper treatment to prevent new bed (pressure) sores or heal existing bed sores;
- Make sure that each resident who enters the nursing home without a catheter is not given a catheter, and receive proper services to prevent urinary tract infections and restore normal bladder function;
- Develop a complete care plan that meets all of a resident’s needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured; and
- Make sure that each resident’s drug regimen is free from unnecessary drugs and that each resident’s entire drug/medication is managed and monitored to achieve highest well being.
The Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm represents clients in cases involving catastrophic injury caused by nursing homes that fail to provide proper care. If you believe that you or your loved one has suffered serious harm because the nursing home failed to do its job, 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.
