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Endicott nursing home fined $76,050

Aug 27, 2008 | Associated Press | Press Connects News

The Absolut Center For Nursing and Rehabilitation was fined $76,050 by the state after an inspection found 23 deficiencies at the facility. 

Richard Mollot, executive director of the Long Term Care Community Coalition, said an average inspection uncovers six deficiencies.

"Twenty-three is pretty outrageous to me," Mollot said.

Absolut Center's administrators didn't return a call for comment Tuesday, but the nursing home did correct violations in late February. The for-profit facility is located at 301 Nantucket Drive and has 146 residents, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The most serious violations found in the December inspection included failure to:

* Make sure the nursing home was free of dangers that cause accidents.

* Choose a doctor to be the medical director.

* Set up or keep a group of people to review and ensure quality.

Mollot said one particular violation he found outrageous was that Absolut failed to give residents proper treatment to prevent new bed sores or to allow existing sores to heal.

The inspection also found Absolut failed to:

* Hire only people who have no legal history of abusing, neglecting or mistreating residents, or failed to report and investigate any reports of abuse, neglect or mistreatment of residents.

* Keep each resident free from drugs that restrain them, unless needed for medical treatment.

* Make sure each resident has the right to choose activities, schedules and health care according to his or her interests, assessment and plan of care.

* Provide care in a way that keeps or builds each resident's dignity and self-respect.

* Make sure residents are well nourished.