Missouri April 2009 Nursing Home Report Card: Heritage Care Center
The Heritage Care Center is a 120 bed nursing home facility located in St. Louis, Missouri. In the past three years, the Heritage Care Center's inspection deficiency record has surpassed the average number of health deficiencies in Missouri three times. The Heritage Care Center received twelve deficiencies in 2008, ten deficiencies in 2007, and seventeen deficiencies in 2006. The average number of nursing home deficiencies in Missouri is nine. Currently, the Heritage Care Center is rated as a one-star nursing home according to the new system instituted by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, which indicates a well below-average facility.
All nursing home residents deserve to be safe from abuse and neglect. Heritage Care Center failed to ensure its residents' safety when it failed to write and use policies that forbid mistreatment, neglect, and abuse of residents and theft of residents' property in 2008. This facility also failed to hire only people with no legal history of abusing, neglecting, or mistreating residents and to report and investigate any acts or reports of abuse, neglect, or mistreatment of residents in 2006.
All nursing home residents deserve professional services that meet a professional standard of quality. This facility failed its residents in this respect multiple times in the past three years. Heritage Care Center failed to provide residents the proper treatment to prevent bed sores or to heal existing bed sores in 2007. This facility also failed to ensure that residents entering the facility without a catheter is not given one unless necessary in both 2006 and 2008. Heritage also failed to ensure that residents unable to care for themselves are provided with assistance with activities of daily living, and failed ensure that each residents' nutritional needs are met. This facility also failed multiple times in the past three years to provide activities to meet the needs of each resident. Heritage Care Center also failed to give proper treatment to residents with feeding tubes to prevent problems such as aspiration pneumonia, vomiting, and dehydration and did not properly care for residents needing special services, such as injections, colostomy, ileostomy, tracheostomy care, tracheal suctioning, and respiratory care in 2008.
All nursing home residents have the right to be treated fairly and with respect. Heritage Care Center failed its residents when it failed to provide care in such a way that keeps or builds each resident's dignity and self-respect and provide services to meet resident needs. The facility also failed provide proof that all personal money deposited with the nursing home was secure. Heritage Care Center did not have a private telephone available for resident use and did not keep residents' personal and medical records private and confidential. Heritage Care Center also failed to make sure that each resident had the right to choose activities, schedules, and health care according to individual interest, assessments, or plan of care.
It is important in nursing homes that the residents are provided with properly balanced meals so ensure good health. Heritage Care Center failed its residents when it failed to ensure residents were well-nourished and did not store, cook, and distribute food in a safe, clean way.
It is crucial that nursing homes timely provide the correct medication to its residents. Heritage Care Center failed to ensure that residents were safe from serious medication errors in 2008 and failed to keep the medication error rate to less than 5% in 2006.
A safe, clean, homelike environment is important for nursing home residents to thrive. Heritage Care Center failed to ensure that the nursing home area is free of dangers that could cause accidents at least twice and failed to keep a safe, clean, and homelike environment. The facility also failed to ensure that there was a program in place to prevent or deal with mice, insects, or other pests.
The Terry Law Firm is experienced in handling nursing home cases of abuse or neglect. Please feel free to contact us at 1 (888) 317-2525 or visit us at www.nursinghomejustice.com.
