One nursing home worker threw a glass of water in a resident's face. Another nursing home worker was seen spitting at one resident and pinching another. And at a St. Louis Park facility, a female resident was kissed and molested, according to government records.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) evaluates nursing homes and conducts health and fire-safety inspections. When evaluating a home's performance, it considers nurse staffing levels and quality-of-life issues, among other factors.
For this week's list, I've included the 10 Twin Cities homes cited for the most violations in the six-month period ending in May 2011, which was the most recent information available.
I've also listed all complaints substantiated by the Minnesota Office of Health Facility Complaints during recent inspection periods.
1 Crystal Care Center, Crystal, 26 violations.
2 Highland Chateau Health Care Center, St. Paul, 19 violations.
3 Robbinsdale Rehab and Care Center, Robbinsdale, 16 violations.
Six substantiated complaints: A worker threw a glass of water in a resident's face and swore at her. A resident sustained burns from smoking while on supplemental oxygen. The health care of a resident with behavior issues was neglected. Medications weren't given at appropriate times, care plans weren't followed and workers were slow to respond to call lights. Social work services were inadequate and care conferences were not timely. Drug disposal was done improperly.
