Nursing Home Report Card:

Golden Living Center – Hagerstown Receives 14 Health Deficiencies in 2013 Survey

Golden Living Center – Hagerstown has been ranked as an average facility by the federal government. However, in its most recent survey conducted on January 13, 2013 state investigators issued 14 health deficiencies against the facility which is twice the average nationwide. Specifically, state investigators found that Golden Living Center – Hagerstown failed their residents in several ways, including:

1. FAILED to inform the physician of a resident’s weight loss in a timely manner.
2. FAILED to remove preventable accident risks from the nursing home.
3. FAILED to replace worn out wheelchair arms for 10% of the residents who used wheelchairs.
4. FAILED to accurately conduct admission and periodic assessments of resident abilities.
5. FAILED to revise a plan of care for residents who had significant changes in their status.
6. FAILED to allow residents to participate in revising their plan of care.
7. FAILED to have survey results available for residents to peruse.
8. FAILED to stop medication when resident was allergic to the medication.
9. FAILED to properly store medication in the facility.
10. FAILED to maintain a sanitary environment and prevent infection.
11. FAILED to maintain firmly secured handrails in the facility.
12. FAILED to have a sufficient sized kitchen for the size of the facility.
13. FAILED to maintain accurate medical records for residents.

How is it possible that a Maryland nursing home receives twice as many deficiencies as the national average?

Lack of staffing is the most likely culprit.  When staffing levels are down, there are fewer staff members to take care of the residents.  It’s just common sense that when there are too few staff members available they can’t take care of all the residents.  If there aren’t enough staff members then they are less likely to call the physician about a resident’s weight loss in a timely manner.  Why?  Because they are less likely to know about the resident’s weight loss in a timely manner because they are too busy doing other things.

Likewise, when there aren’t enough employees the less likely it will be that they will be able to know there are preventable accident risks, much less prevent them.   And, without enough employees, the facilityis less able to comply with the requirement to revise the resident’s care plan after a significant change.

Here is the staffing information comparing Golden Living Center – Hagerstown with the Maryland Average as taken from the Maryland Health Care Commission: Consumer Guide to Long Term Care:

Golden Living Center Hagerstown	Maryland Average
Number RN Hours per Resident Day	44 minutes	54 minutes
Number LPN/LVN Hours per Resident Day	37 minutes	54 minutes
Total Number of Licensed Staff Hours per Resident Day (RN hours + LPN/LVN Hours)	1 hour 21 minutes	1 hour 48 minutes
Number CNA (certified nursing assistant) Hours per Resident Day	1 hour 57 minutes	2 hours 23 minutes
Number Therapy Hours per Resident Day	6 minutes	8 minutes
% Direct care staff employed 2 years or more*	56%	60%

As you can see, Golden Living Center – Hagerstown lags behind the Maryland average in every single category. You can see this for yourself here.

One of the more stunning staffing statistics in that chart is that this facility provides residents with less than two hours of Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) care per day.  CNA’s do most of the direct care work for residents, such as helping residents use the restroom, get out of bed, eating, brushing teeth, and more.  Nurisng care typically involves more medically related events such as giving medication, taking vital signs, wound care, etc.  So, think about what these numbers really mean … in a 24 hour day, elderly, vulnerable, needy, residents receive less than 2 hours of help from nursing assistants.  For any of you who have cared for an elderly family member, do you believe this is enough time to give the resident proper care?

Golden Living has four nursing home facilities in Maryland and, sadly, Golden Living Center – Hagerstown is one of its best with a 3-star overall Medicare rating which, according to Medicare, means that it is an “average” facility. The other Golden Living facilities in Maryland are:

•      Golden Living Center – Frederick –  1 star overall Medicare rating = Below average facility
•      Golden Living Center – Westminster – 1 star overall Medicare rating = Below average facility
•      Golden Living Center – Cumberland –  3 star overall Medicare rating = Average facility

If one of your family members has suffered serious injuries or death at a Golden Living Center in Maryland nursing home, you may need to talk with a Maryland nursing home attorney  who can help you understand your legal rights. Please call us at 410-825-ABUSE (2287) or visit our website www.NursingHomeJustice.com.

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