Ohio Nursing Home Has 4 Times as Many Health Citations as State Average

Eaglewood Care Center, a nursing home in Springfield, Ohio, has been cited 31 times for health violations, which is four times the state average of 6.2.

The 31 citations include a citation for failing to respond to a patient who was suffering respiratory distress and ended up dying in April 2016. A doctor was paged about the patient’s condition at 1 a.m. on April 9, 2016. However, the doctor did not respond and the patient was found on the floor without a pulse just before 7 a.m.     

The facility was also cited two weeks ago after an incident in December when two residents were able to take oxycodone pills from an unlocked narcotic box on a licensed nurse’s medication cart. This was a life-threatening situation for one of the residents because this individual had a history of drug abuse. One of the residents ended up overdosing on these pills. 

If your loved one is staying at a nursing home that has been cited for health violations and you are concerned that your loved one may have been harmed, contact one of PKSD’s experienced nursing home abuse lawyers for a free legal consultation.

Eagle Care Center Fined More Than $200,000

The citations against Eaglewood Care Center resulted in numerous fines in 2016 and 2017 totaling more than $200,000.

Two enforcement letters from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) detail fines against the facility in those two years. CMS is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that governs all nursing facilities that receive federal funding through Medicaid or Medicare.

According to one of the letters, the facility was assessed approximately $175,000 in fines between April 9, 2016 and May 5, 2016. The facility was also assessed $9,541 in fines between May 6, 2016 and June 21, 2016 of that year.

Another letter sent on Dec. 29, 2017, shows Eaglewood Care Center was fined a total of $78,690 between May 3, 2017 and July 27, 2017. The letter said CMS conducted health surveys of the facility on May 4, June 13 and July 13, 2017. The surveys revealed the facility was not in substantial compliance with federal nursing home requirements.

Corrective Action by the Facility

Eaglewood Care Center submitted plans of correction for each citation it received and continues working to provide better care to residents, according to Bruce Wertheim, manager of Beacon Health Management, which operates the Eaglewood facility.

The facility took corrective action after two residents stole oxycodone pills in December, according to a statement of deficiencies filed by the Ohio Department of Health two weeks.

The facility also took corrective action after a resident died in April 2016, which included providing staff training on the appropriate response to changes in a patient’s condition. Appropriate responses included calling 9-1-1, auditing doctor response times and daily tracking of lab results.

Contact Us If Your Loved One Suffered Nursing Home Abuse

Citations against a nursing home often indicate abuse or neglect of residents. That is why people with loved ones at nursing homes should watch for any citations against the facility where their loved one is staying.

The personal injury attorneys at PKSD can help you investigate the situation, collect evidence and build a case for why your loved one is entitled to compensation. We can negotiate compensation or take your case to trial to achieve the justice you and your loved one deserve.

Schedule a free legal consultation today. We do not charge for representing you unless you receive compensation.

Call 877-877-2228 or fill out a Free Case Evaluation form.