Saturday, October 17, 2020

Chittenango nursing home fined $8,000 by the NYS Department of Health

by Mary Kielar

CHITTENANGO, N.Y. — CNY Central has been reporting on The Grand Rehab and Nursing facility in Chittenango since May.

It’s where 10 residents have died, and 46 of the nearly 80 people who live there had COVID-19 during that month.

The New York State Department of Health cited The Grand after an inspection in May, which revealed the home failed to provide a safe environment for residents and to educate staff about preventing the spread of COVID-19.

On May 5th, the State Health Department did an infection control survey, which looked at procedures in place to stop the spread of COVID-19.

We now know that it uncovered that not every staff member was trained on health and safety protocols related to the virus - nearly two months into the pandemic.

The survey team also discovered some nursing home staff were not washing their hands or wearing gloves while taking care of residents.

One nursing aide even left her used disposable gown hanging on a handrail in a hallway.

The New York State Department of Health was fined $8,000 dollars for this citation.

A spokesperson tells CNY Central, "we have issued 105 citations to 77 nursing homes. To date, we have levied a total of $336,000 in fines to 24 facilities."

The health department says they visited every single nursing home and adult care facility in the state at least once since March first.

"This only represents a portion of the total number of cases for which we are actively pursuing fines. The Department will continue to hold providers who violate regulations accountable for their actions," explained a spokesperson.

Corrections submitted to the state by The Grand indicate every staff member will get the training they need, and understand the proper PPE needed while working with residents. It was approved by the Department of Health.

CNY Central has tried to contact the Vice President of the Grand Healthcare System, but has not heard back.

The Madison County Public Health Director is aware of the citation, but had no further comment when asked, according to a county spokesperson.

 
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