On July 8, the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW) notified a ManorCare assisted living facility, Arden Courts of Jefferson Hills, that it would receive only a second, six-month provisional license, rather than an ordinary license, because of the facility’s continuing and new violations of state standards.  DPW’s letter explained that “violations specified for [the facility’s] previous provisional license have not been corrected, and we found new violations not found during our previous inspection.”  

Violations at the facility have included the facility’s failure at first to conduct an investigation or even to notify state regulators or residents’ representatives when facility administration learned that a staff person had allegedly sexually abused residents.  The inspection report enclosed with DPW’s letter states:  “As a result over a period of months, residents were subjected to inappropriate sexual mistreatment.”  The report mentions 8 resident victims.  The staff member involved was ultimately suspended and terminated (more than one month after administration was notified), and the facility Administrator had to resign.  Other violations at the facility have included failure to conduct a required employee criminal background check,  and failure to ensure that the required number of caregivers certified in First Aid and CPR are present at the facility at all times.  The facility has now submitted plans of correction for these and other violations.

A facility is only permitted to receive a provisional license four times in a two-year period.

To view the state’s letter to ManorCare Arden Courts of Jefferson Hills click here.

Less than five months after a ManorCare South resident died from critical injuries received in a fall, another resident at the same facility died from cardiac arrest after staff failed to call a physician right away when they noticed warning signs. 

In both instances, the Pennsylvania State Department of Public Welfare found the facility in violation of regulations that require timely and necessary care in case of an emergency.

The York Daily Record reports that ManorCare South was issued a provisional license upon investigation of the resident death in January and had until July 8th to correct problems under that license.  The second death in May occurred within this corrective time period.

Because this serious incident occurred while ManorCare South was already operating under a provisional license, the state issued a Provisional II license to the facility.  Provisional licenses are given at different levels, I through IV, depending on the allegations; level IV is the most serious.  Of 54 south-central Pennsylvania nursing homes listed on the Health and Welfare Department’s website, only three were under license sanctions as of July 18.  The other two had lower level I provisional licenses. 

The state has also fined the facility a civil penalty of $7,250. According to the York Daily Record, the health department is recommending that federal officials issue $20,000 in additional fines.

Caregivers, residents and families have been calling attention to the conditions at ManorCare facilities around the country, including not having enough staff to provide the quality of care residents deserve.

To view the state survey reports: 1/9/08 and 5/22/08.

A new analysis of federal government data reveals a reduction in nurse and CNA staff time per resident per day and a surge in violations at some ManorCare Pennsylvania nursing homes while under Carlyle’s ownership.  At one facility, ManorCare Health Services – Lansdale in Montgomeryville, staffing was reduced by 21%.  According to the most recent government data available, 20 Pennsylvania Manor Care homes have had post-buyout health or fire safety inspections.  An analysis comparing those post-buyout inspections with the last pre-buyout inspections shows a decline in average nurse and CNA time per resident day (with the average weighted to take account of the different resident census in each home) and a 31% increase in total violations (health and fire safety).  Read More.

A fire was reported at ManorCare’s Old Orchard Health Care Center in Bethlehem Township Wednesday, forcing some residents to move into different areas.  Some residents and staff members were also treated for smoke inhalation.  The nursing home has been cited for 6 violations of federal fire safety standards this year, twice the national average.  Read more.

July 1 - The Federal Occupational Health and Safety and Health Administration has opened an investigation into conditions at the ManorCare facility in Palmer Township, Pennsylvania, after at least three workers reportedly experienced breathing or other problems related to a renovation project in the first floor rehabilitation wing of the facility. 

Caregivers point to this as yet another example of Carlyle-ManorCare management failing to treat its workers fairly.  The OSHA investigation is expected to take about six months.

Read more about the incident in the Express-Times.