PA Nursing Home Cited for Abuse

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

A Philadelphia nursing home that gained unwanted fame in the death of the father of a Trump administration official, has been cited by state health officials for subjecting patients to verbal and mental abuse.
In a recent report inspectors from the Pennsylvania Health Department concluded that employees of the 133-bed nursing home at Cathedral Village subjected at least three residents to verbal and mental abuse.
One patient was told she was "too fat," and "I am getting you out of bed whether you like it or not."
The nursing home, owned by Presbyterian Senior Living, was cited a year ago in the death of Harold McMaster Sr., father of former Trump administration security advisor Harold McMaster Jr. The elder McMaster died following a series of falls at Cathedral Village. A Cathedral Village employee, Christann Gainey, assigned to care for the patient was subsequently charged with neglect, tampering with records and involuntary manslaughter. Her trial is scheduled for Oct. 19.
A subsequent state inspection report faulted administrators at the facility for multiple violations of state and federal regulations.
The recent inspection report dated May 17 was conducted to determine Cathedral Village's compliance with federal standards for the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
In addition to the woman who was told she was too fat, an incontinent male patient was told that if he soiled his bed again, he'd be left to sit in it.
"I am not going to change your sheets again today," the employee told the patient.
Before the incident the patient had confided to other workers that he was afraid he was going to be in trouble.
The abuse incidents, according to the 40-page report, were verified by other Cathedral Village staffers.
Still another patient was told to go in her brief when she asked to be taken to the bathroom. According to the report the woman was in tears when the day shift arrived.
Other deficiencies include failing to promptly inform the physicians and family representatives of a change in a patient's condition.
In one case nursing home staffers failed to inform the patient's doctor of laboratory results showing a serious change in the patient's condition.
In another case the nursing home failed to have tests performed on a patient as ordered by the physician. Another patient did not get prescribed oral care.
The facility officials filed a plan of correction in which they contended that patients did not sustain any "lasting harm" from the lapses in care. They did promise to conduct retraining programs for staffers and to conduct audits to ensure that rules were being followed.
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