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Care facilities cited for death, abuse, incompetent staff and medication errors

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August 9th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Six Iowa care facilities have been cited in recent weeks for medication errors, incompetent staff, resident abuse and a death, according to state records. A report by the Iowa Capital Dispatch says Park View Homes in Sioux City, a 45-bed facility for people with disabilities, was recently fined $8,000 by the state as a result of an inspection that took place over the course of three months, ending in late July. The inspection was triggered by a complaint and three self-reported incidents, and resulted in the home being cited for five federal regulatory violations and one state regulatory violation.

Other Iowa care facilities recently cited for violations include:

Fort Dodge Health and Rehabilitation, which was fined $500 for failing to report resident abuse to state regulators. A staff member allegedly reported that a certified nursing assistant spoke to a female resident of the home in an abusive manner after the woman had an episode of incontinence. The CNA allegedly told the woman, “We need to get you on the commode so you will stop s—-ing your pants, I don’t have time for this,” and then walked out of the resident’s room.

— Stacyville Community Nursing Home, which was fined $5,000 for giving a resident the wrong medication, resulting in the resident being admitted to a local hospital. The home was also cited for insufficient staffing and failing to have a registered nurse in the building for eight consecutive hours or more, in violation of federal requirements.

— Hillcrest Health Care Center of Hawarden, which was fined $25,500 in July for failing to follow dietary restrictions and repeatedly giving residents meals that posed a choking risk. The home had been cited for the same violation, and fined $8,500, in January. Both the January and July fines have been held in suspension by the state.

— Aase Hagen Home of Decorah, which was fined 4,500 by the state for failing to protect residents from hazards. The violation was tied to injuries sustained by a resident who fell out of a mechanical lift that was being used to transfer the individual in or out of bed. Because this was a repeat violation, the $4,500 fine was tripled to $13,500, and then held in suspension by the state.

— Osage Rehab and Health Care Center, which was fined $7,250 for leaving a resident flat on his back in bed during tube feeding, even after the resident had vomited. The man was subsequently taken to a hospital and admitted to a critical care unit and diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia and septic shock. Two weeks after the incident, the man was still in the hospital and was gravely ill, with possible brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation, according to inspectors. A family member of the resident reportedly told inspectors that in the past he had twice advised the staff to refrain from feeding the man while he was flat on his back, but the staff was “incompetent and failed to listen.” The $7,250 fine has been held in suspension by the state.