Earlier this month, at the first-ever meeting of NorCo Council's Gracedale Oversight Committee, it was learned that the home, which is currently operating with a Provisional II license, was cited by the state Department of Health on September 10 and again on September 24 with three deficiencies. Two of these were "G" level deficiencies, meaning there was actual harm to a resident.
There was little detail about these violations at the meeting, but the September 10 deficiencies are now posted on the Department of Health website.
The first violation involved a resident with dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), traumatic brain injury, and spastic hemiplegia (a neuromuscular condition that causes muscle tightness and involuntary contractions in the limbs and extremities on one side of the body resulting in muscles on one side of the body). He has a swallowing problem and was placed on a special diet of soft food. Direct supervision is required when he eats.
On August 28, he began choking on a meal that was supposed to be pureed. Although he was supposed to be under supervision while eating, another resident slipped him part of a sandwich without notice by a nurse. He began to choke and the Heimlich maneuver failed. The resident had to be laid on his side and was subject to back thrusts until he spit out pieces of the sandwich. He was rushed to the hospital, where it was determined that he had acute respiratory failure with hypoxia from aspiration pneumonia. He remained in the hospital for four days.
Gracedale's nursing director admitted that the facility failed to provide adequae supervision.
The second violation occurred on August 22, and involves a resident suffering from ALS. Her medical plan requires that a gait belt be used when she is walking or moving from his wheelchair to a bed. A nurse's aide was assisting this resident in getting from his wheelchair to his bed when the resident began to cry and fall down. The nurse's aide had failed to use the required gait belt, but had the presence of mind to lower herself to the floor with the resident to break the fall and reduce injury. There is no indication that the resident suffered any harm.
Although one of these incidents is a "G" level deficiency, I'd agree that they pale in comparison to some of the other deficiencies found at Gracedale since Michelle Morton has been its Administrator. But deficiencies are still deficiencies, and even Executive Tara Zrinski concedes that the home will be in Provisional status a bit longer than had been hoped.
The details of the third incident are still unavailable for public review.
According to the CMS website, there is no indication that Gracedale was fined over either of these incidents.
Geesh it never ends.
ReplyDeleteBut Ken Krap couldn't be bothered to hold a meeting for months. If he had his goldbricking lazy way, we'd still be waiting to discuss this ongoing disaster. Nice work Ken. Is it break time, you loafer?
ReplyDeleteWere the 2 nursing staff fired immediately. Why was the first one handing out food trays? Why wasn't dietary worker doing that? Should be fired for not supervising one on one. The second nursing staff should be fired as well for not following medical orders. Unless there is accountability nothing will improve.
ReplyDeleteLastly, Gracedale knows what the third level G is. Michele Morton should be required to report the details at the next county council meeting. No excuses such as don't have that info with me. Is it so bad that nothing is being published due to a possible ongoing investigation?
Believe these questions should be asked.
Nursing staff passes out food trays at Gracedale not dietary staff. I understand D OH has been in again in past 24 hours.
DeleteIt appears it wasn't the diet it was a neighbor gave him food. Supervision mean watching but its not a 1:1...only takes a second to hand someone food. Supervision if not defined well could mean they are watching helping many people. If the neighbor never did this before it was unexpected I am sure
DeleteOMG
DeleteDid Tom, Michelle or nursing admin let county council know the DOH was in again. David Holland must be pissed.
DeleteStoffa was right
ReplyDeleteRev. Mario and His Acolytes were wrong.
DeleteI have provided you with industry information before. This “G” is an example of the Department of health completely unhinged. Another resident slipped a sandwich over to this resident. These things happen. It doesn’t mean that the resident was unsupervised. I’m not from Gracedale. The home has received severe deficiencies it deserved. This is not one of them. Regulatory is out of control over the past two years and is pounding homes right now that you would not think as being bad providers. The federal government cannot pay for this service, and they are using regulatory to try to shrink the industry.
ReplyDeleteWow! You're now blaming DOH for being "out of control". That's a great strategy for getting them to restore your license. Geez. The reason you get deficiencies is because you have staffing shortages, high turnover and a poor administration. When police notice nursing supervisors sleeping at their stations when they visit at night, you've got a problem.
Delete7:21am - what if you choked and almost died?
DeleteSome of my readers would be happy, lol. But as for deficiencies resulting in actual harm, this appears to be one on which the resident played an active role. He was eating food he is not supposed to eat. Moreover, I saw no indication that he was cognitively impaired. He needed a guardian angel, not a nurse.
DeleteThe plan of care stated the resident was to be supervised. The staff gave him his tray and went off to pass other trays. He was NOT supervised, took a sandwich from another resident, choked and almost died. Resident harm -a G!
DeleteTraumatic brain injury with memory impairment.First comment was directed to 7:21am, not you, Bernie. This one to clarify resident’s cognitive status is for you.
DeleteDOH is completely unhinged. Supervision is not 1:1. DOH is politically motivated at this point to give out severe tags, at multiple other nursing homes, not just Gracedale. This does not excuse the real problems that are there, but the DOH, in my 20+ years of working in nursing homes, has never been this punitive, to all the homes in the Valley.
DeleteNote the resident choked twice and the second event almost killed him. He apparently is cognitively impaired and just wanted the other resident’s sandwich (who obliged). Pure neglect. Second - gait belt to be used for transfer and was not. Sadly a G and a D. Yet another D to review. Oh my!
ReplyDeleteExcuse me - G not D.
DeleteKen Krap couldn't care less- Gracedale, like the rest of the County is in dire straits.
ReplyDeleteWill there ever be an independent investigation? One team runs the county and the state. Is that the reason? Where are the feds? We're talking about endangered citizens in our own house. Enough already.
ReplyDeleteLocal department if health field offices are trained federal surveyors for cms regulations. They are also trained in individual state regulations. Surveys include recertification surveys for medicare as well as state reg. Title 6 etc. Federal surveyors see all deficiencies. Federal surveyors have oversight of the state surveyors and evaluate tgeir performance not the facility. Confusing...but they see all surveys and impose the federal fines if any
DeleteMorton should kiss the surveyors asses instead of being a wise ass to them.
ReplyDeleteI’m not joking about this. A crazy employee or retiree is calling DOH every other day. Gracedale is the safest place in the Lehigh Valley for your loved one. The State is literally there multiple times a week.
ReplyDeleteIf you know this, you must know more. Deficiencies don’t lie.
DeleteYou have to be a crazy employee to stay there. How would a retiree know what is going on in there. Or not going on!
DeleteWhat exactly is the Assistant Department of Human Services Director’s role in all or anything at all? We have never covered it but it something of a mystery.
ReplyDeleteSue gets a big pay and her assistant does all of the work!
DeleteThat’s the norm for NorCo. The people with management titles can’t do the jobs of those they manage. They don’t even know what they should be doing.
DeleteThe taxpayers of Northampton County are owed factual updates regarding Gracedale’s fines, fiscal health, and ratio of nurses/ assistants to patients and residents.
ReplyDelete