Golden Living Center – Frederick Cited by the State for 14 Health Deficiencies in 2013 Survey
Golden Living Center – Frederick is a below average facility and earned a 1 star overall rating according to the federal government. And, it did nothing to improve upon its 1 star rating during its most recent state survey conducted on June 13, 2013 that found 14 health deficiencies, which is twice as many as the national average of 6.8.
According to the survey, state inspectors found that Golden Living Center – Frederick failed one or more residents in multiple ways, including:
- FAILED to report a finding of abuse to the State Nurse Aide Registry: Witnesses reported seeing a facility employee “physically and verbally abuse” a resident. The facility substantiated the report and terminated the nursing assistant, but failed to report their findings pursuant to federal law.
- FAILED to ensure that proper laboratory testing was completed according to the resident’s care plan. The survey also found that the facility FAILED to have a policy for routine lab monitoring.
- FAILED to provide a safe, accident free environment by FAILING to fix a floor tile missing in a dining hall.
- FAILED to monitor needs and effects of medicines given to patients.
- FAILED to remove a medication from a patient’s list when it was no longer needed.
- FAILED to store food in a safe and clean way and FAILED to prevent potential infections.
- FAILED to sign orders for residents who were reviewed for unnecessary medications.
- FAILED to have patients seen by a physician as necessary.
- FAILED to report irregularities in the resident’s medication or make sure that the proper lab work was obtained.
- FAILED to ensure that lab services were given in a timely manner.
- FAILED to ensure that medication was labelled correctly and not used after expiration.
- FAILED to provide a working call system. The call system was inoperable in 10% of the bathrooms and nearly 10% of all the resident’s bedrooms.
State Surveyor: There’s Too Much Hair in the Kitchen!
There are so many parts of the survey document that show the disregard (if not downright disdain) employees have for the elderly residents, but one that stood out was the following observation by the state inspector about the findings in the Golden Living Center – Frederick kitchen:
“… observation was made of 2 hair brushes (which had hair intertwined in the bristles) in the bread container which was sitting on the counter in the dining area. There was also a 1 hair brush in a kitchen drawer.”
Allowing employees to be so disrepectful of residents is completely unacceptable. Nursing home corporations like Golden Living Centers should know better than to allow their employees to disregard residents and provide such paltry care to residents.
More than likely the failures identified in this state inspection are the result of the usual suspects; lack of staffing, poor training and poor supervision. When nursing home corporations like Golden Living Centers cut back a facility’s budget, certain areas tend to get cut before others. Typically, budget shortages are made up in the nursing department and the dietary department. When staffing budgets are cut the remaining employees have more work to do and, as a result, may fall behind in completing all of their duties. The more work people have to do, the less time they have for training and supervision. It is a vicious cycle that predictably results in poor care which can result in serious injuries or death to the residents who rely upon the facility staff.
Let’s look at the staffing information for Golden Living Center – Frederick:
| Key Staffing Areas | Golden Living Center –Frederick | Maryland Average |
| Number RN Hours per Resident Day | 25 minutes | 54 minutes |
| Number LPN/LVN Hours per Resident Day | 50 minutes | 54 minutes |
| Total Number of Licensed Staff Hours per Resident Day (RN hours + LPN/LVN Hours) | 1 hour 16 minutes | 1 hour 48 minutes |
| Number CNA (certified nursing assistant) Hours per Resident Day | 1 hour 59 minutes | 2 hours 23 minutes |
| Number Therapy Hours per Resident Day | 7 minutes | 8 minutes |
| % Direct care staff employed 2 years or more* | 82% | 60% |
Staffing information taken directly from the Maryland Consumer Health Commission Consumer Guide to Long Term Care which can be found here.
There are so many things that jump out about these statistics.
- Golden Living Center – Frederick is behind the Maryland average in every single category.
- The total number of RN hours for each resident is half the state average. That is an incredible deficiency. That deficiency factors into the substantial difference between the state average and the facility average of total licensed staff hours.
- Residents at Golden Living Center – Frederick receive 24 minutes less CNA care than the average nursing home in Maryland. Given that CNA’s provide most of the care to a resident on a daily basis, this is a huge shortage.
- Typically when the direct care staff is stable that is good for the residents, but here 80% of their direct care staff has been with the facility for 2 years or more, but the facility remains a 1 star facility with twice the deficiencies as the national average.
Maryland nursing home residents deserve better than this. The conditions at Golden Living Center – Frederick create an unsafe environment for the elderly, who are supposed to be receiving quality care. This is not the quality of care Maryland nursing home residents expect or should receive.
Nursing Home Justice Associates is dedicated to enforcing the rights of Maryland’s nursing home residents and their family members. If your loved one was subjected to abuse or neglect at this or any Golden Living Center facility in Maryland, call our office at 410-825-ABUSE (2287) and talk to one of our Maryland nursing home neglect attorneys. You can also take time to visit our website, www.NursingHomeJustice.com.