Connecticut State Long Term Care Ombudsman Mairead Painter, State Sen. Saud Anwar and State Rep. Jane Garibay, co-chair of the Aging Committee, are raising resident safety concerns at Fresh River Healthcare, an East Windsor nursing home, after an anonymous complaint to the ombudsman’s office.
The complaint included images and video of a maggot-infested wound on the resident’s head. Painter said: “We have received dozens of complaints about this facility over the last few years with many still unresolved. This resident’s experience has been truly horrific resulting in a dangerous condition that no one would want their loved one to experience.”
Painter, Anwar and Garibay held a press conference at the facility on Thursday. Painter’s office has filed six staffing complaints against Fresh River Healthcare, the most recent after the resident council called for action, reporting that residents are left for hours unattended in the dining room and lounges.
“This resident’s medical condition was permitted to deteriorate with limited staff intervention and poor care documentation. The facility has failed to meet individual care needs and consistently failed to maintain the minimum required staffing ratios in Connecticut,” said Painter, “Without appropriate staffing how can a facility be prepared to meet the actual care needs of their residents?”
The officials also raised questions about facility inspections, complaints pending with the Department of Public Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ risk-based survey approach, given that Fresh River Healthcare has a five-star quality rating. Anwar, who joined Painter at the press conference, said: “This resident’s experience is outrageous. What’s even more concerning is that the disregard for residents. Facilities must provide sufficient staffing to meet their residents’ needs, and our regulatory agencies must hold them accountable.”
The officials said the approach, implemented last month, streamlines recertification inspections for highly rated facilities, so eligible facilities can receive a shorter, more focused review with fewer surveyors, a smaller resident sample and less onsite time, unless the Ombudsman’s office identifies concerns or other complaints are filed. They said the surveys focus primarily on infection control, which increases the risk that resident care issues can be missed.
