Former nursing home director pleads to endangering 3 residents

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

St. Francis was where I did student practicum many moons ago. Was well regarded by the community when owned by Catholic Church, then bought out by a for profit corporation. It's 2 doors down from the hospital ---no excuse for this level of neglect.  I'm assuming staff needed to have admin permission to send out to the hospital ---wound to the tendon and bone with no wound care does not occur overnight like some pressure ulcers, failure of having caring aide staff too -- I started out as nurses aide in mid 70's  and did perdiem staffing in 90's, so well aware SNF issues, but strong nurses  and caring aides at my facility prevented caught early patient illness and no SNF aquired pressure ulcers in the days of no low airloss mattress, metholate and heat lamp treatments!.

Former regional nursing home director pleads to endangering 3 residents

Quote

 

The former regional director of operations at St. Francis Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare in Darby pleaded “no contest” Wednesday to three counts of recklessly endangering another person that state Attorney General Josh Shapiro said resulted in the deaths of three residents in 2017. ...

The investigation was launched in August 2017 after staff at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital notified Delaware County Services for the Aging of concerns about the poor health conditions of several residents who had been transferred to the hospital. COSA, in turn, notified the A.G.’s Office and Darby Borough Police...

•  87-year-old identified as “B.W.,” died at the hospital Aug. 15, 2017, due to a massive fecal obstruction in her colon and dehydration, according to the affidavit.... 
• 86-year-old identified as “O.G.” died at the hospital Aug. 20, 2017, from septic shock and severe dehydration after suffering from Stage IV pressure ulcers that exposed his tendon and bone, according to the affidavit. There was no evidence O.G. had received any medical treatment for his wounds....
•  87-year-old “L.C.,” developed a severe pressure wound that should have been noticed weeks earlier if properly trained staff were performing routine care, the affidavit says. The wound required debridement at the hospital Aug. 15, 2017, after which L.C. returned to St. Francis. Staff there again failed to properly monitor her...

 

 

[caliotter3]

It comes close to home and means more when we have worked at the facility or under the persons involved.  My first nursing home experience as a CNA was involved in a big time scandal when the administrator/owner hit the news with his five or six facilities coming under a long term investigation.  Eventually, the case came to a close.  He sold soon thereafter, I'll bet at a tidy profit since national firms were involved.

[summertx]

4 hours ago, NRSKarenRN said:

St. Francis was where I did student practicum many moons ago. Was well regarded by the community when owned by Catholic Church, then bought out by a for profit corporation. It's 2 doors down from the hospital ---no excuse for this level of neglect.  I'm assuming staff needed to have admin permission to send out to the hospital ---wound to the tendon and bone with no wound care does not occur overnight like some pressure ulcers, failure of having caring aide staff too -- I started out as nurses aide in mid 70's  and did perdiem staffing in 90's, so well aware SNF issues, but strong nurses  and caring aides at my facility prevented caught early patient illness and no SNF aquired pressure ulcers in the days of no low airloss mattress, metholate and heat lamp treatments!.

Former regional nursing home director pleads to endangering 3 residents

 

How many of these cases are swept  under the rug? There are 1000's more. 

[NurseBlaq]

I just want to know why the hospital had to report this facility and not the staff working there? I would have gladly called the state from the facility. There is no excuse for this level of neglect. Even if she said don't send the patient out, how does that excuse not treating the patients or not sending them out anyway to protect them and your license? No way in the world would I have listened to her.

I had a DON like that at a SNF I worked at and I sent the patient out anyway and told her she can write me up and give me a few copies, making sure I had one to give an attorney because I wasn't listening to her. Come to find out, she was somehow the DON and had already lost her nursing license and the administrator knew! I quit not too long after but I reported her first because she threatened to write me up for not writing a verbal order she took from the doctor. I hadn't spoken to anyone so I wasn't writing any orders I didn't hear. I called the doctor and he hadn't told her anything like what she was trying to get me to fudge. He was pissed too!  I don't have time for the shenanigans.

[summertx]

On 6/6/2021 at 11:11 AM, NRSKarenRN said:

St. Francis was where I did student practicum many moons ago. Was well regarded by the community when owned by Catholic Church, then bought out by a for profit corporation. It's 2 doors down from the hospital ---no excuse for this level of neglect.  I'm assuming staff needed to have admin permission to send out to the hospital ---wound to the tendon and bone with no wound care does not occur overnight like some pressure ulcers, failure of having caring aide staff too -- I started out as nurses aide in mid 70's  and did perdiem staffing in 90's, so well aware SNF issues, but strong nurses  and caring aides at my facility prevented caught early patient illness and no SNF aquired pressure ulcers in the days of no low airloss mattress, metholate and heat lamp treatments!.

Former regional nursing home director pleads to endangering 3 residents

 

I don't get 'permission' to send anyone out. At the point they are being sent out, the doctor and DON are 'informed' in most of the cases. They don't do anything for the patient anyway. In a less acute case, such as potentially septic but responding, I may ask. These are devilish places.