Covid Efforts Net Citation at Vets Home

This story was updated on April 1 By Walter F. Roche Jr.

Efforts to prevent the spread of Covid-19 at a state veterans nursing facility brought admonition from state health inspectors, according to a recently released report.
Four residents at the Gino Merli Veterans Center in Scranton were deprived of "services necessary to maintain personal hygiene," the report states.
Due to efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus the four patients were limited to two bed baths a week. They were not allowed to shower as they had in the past.
The new policy, according to the report, was imposed on units at the nursing home which were under "transmission based precautions."
There have been 18 Covid-19 deaths at the 196-bed facility. A total of 63 Merli residents have been diagnosed with the virus.
One of the patients suffered from Parkinson's disease and needed assistance for bathing or showering.
He told the health surveyors the new bathing policy was imposed without notice. An administrator later acknowledged residents were not notified of the changed policy.
Bathing and showering activity did not occur," the report states referring to another one of the four.br /> Despite the statements made by patients to the state inspectors, Joan Nissley, spokeswoman for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, said the bed baths were initiated at the request of the patients themselves. She said that with the presence of Covid cases they did not want to bathe in the communal area. A resident who is unable to carry out activities of daily living should receive necessary services, the report states.
In a plan of correction in response to the report, center officials said steps were taken to ensure residents got proper hygiene. The report states that measures to control the spread of Covid-19 would be reviewed and revised.
The report also faults the facility for failing to provide prompt and proper assistance to residents needing assistance in dining.
Seven of 10 "totally dependent residents" were kept waiting for 25 minutes in the dining area while the other three were fed.
The seven "were not treated in a dignified manner during meal service," the report states. In its plan of correction Merli officials said they would take steps to ensure that all residents were fed at the same time.
The health department surveyors also faulted the facility for "failure to maintain acceptable practices for the storage and service of food."
Cited were containers of frozen chicken which were not labeled or dated.
A concurrent inspection of the hospital for compliance with the federal Life Safety Code turned up several violations including one involving the automatic sprinkler system.
In its plan of correction Merli officials said several of the items had been corrected even as the inspection was going on.
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