PA Vets Home Cited Again

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

A state run nursing home for veterans in Pittsburgh has been cited yet again by Pennsylvania Health Department surveyors for providing poor care to patients.
In a recently released 19-page report state inspectors found that one patient who had fallen and cracked a rib complained of pain but didn't get an X-ray of the rib cage until five days after the initial June 17 incident.
The 236-bed Southwestern Veterans Center was cited not only for the delay in care but also for failing to report the incident as required under state law and regulation.
In fact the report states there were two other incidents, both involving delayed wound care, in which officials at the facility failed to report as required.
The report based on an August on-site visit came just a month after the same facility was cited for negligence when a paraplegic patient was left sitting on a bed pan for two days.
The latest report was based on an annual inspection to determine if the facility still qualified for the federally funded Medicare and Medicaid programs.
The patient with the rib injury fell from a wheelchair on June 17. Although X-rays were taken of his knee and hip, the X-ray of his ribs did not happen until June 22 after he had reported continued pain and was refusing to eat. The X-ray showed a rib fracture and a partially collapsed lung.
The other incidents that went unreported included a patient with a persistent cough and a wound that went untreated.
According to the report the patient had a temperature of 102.3 and had vomited, yet no report was filed.
A third incident involved a patient who had behavioral incidents after falling out of his bed. The report states the facility failed to report a significant change in a patient's condition.
The two patients, the report states, had to endure extended waits, one of up to 56 days, before having their wounds properly assessed.
Still other findings included failure to maintain sanitary conditions in the main dish washing area and failure to properly label drugs.
The home filed a plan of correction in which they promised to change policies and procedures to assure there would be no recurrences.
Officials of the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, which runs the state veterans homes did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Contact:wfrochejr999@gmail.com