Philly Owned Facility Cited in Suicide Attempt

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

Officials at the city owned Philadelphia Nursing Home failed to get a physician ordered psychological consult for a despondent Covid-19 patient for more then two weeks resulting in an attempted suicide.
The patient was found at 5:30 a.m on Aug. 24 15 days after a physician ordered the psychology consult due to the patient's repeated suicidal ideations.
Details of the case are laid out in a complaint investigationn report from the state Health Department which concluded that the nursing home failed "to ensure that Resident 1 received the appropriate treatment and services, preventing the resident from trying to commit suicide."
In a plan of corection filed by the nursing home in reponse to the state report facility officials said the unnamed patient was finally referred for psychiatric services on the day of his suicide attempt and he was hospitalized until Sept. 1.
The plan of correction also calls for re-education programs for staff members on the proper handling of patients contemplating suicide.
Philadelphia Health Department officials did not respond to a request for comment.
According to the state report there were several warnings that the patient was considering suicide including a day when he pleaded to a staffer, "Suicide! Suicide me."
Another warning came when the patient underwent an annual assessment on Aug. 5 and the physician, citing an increase in episodes of anxiety as evidenced by panic attacks, recommended a referral to a psychiatrist.
"Resident states that he believes he is going to die," a staffer wrote in the patient's record.
When state surveyors questioned the director of nursing about the case the official acknowledged that "to date the psychology consults had not been completed as ordered by a physician."
"It was determined that the facility failed to maintain the highest practicable mental and psycho-social well being," the report states.
According to data from the state Health Department 11 residents of the city owned nursing home have died from Covid-19. A total of 130 residents at the 402-bed facility have been diagnosed with Covid-19.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com