New York nursing homes infected with coronavirus have a history of infection control problems

Post found that the city’s nursing homes, destroyed by the coronavirus, were warned of an annoying pattern of unsanitary behavior long before the deadly outbreak.

The state’s Department of Health says that health care workers do not wash their hands, neglect to wear personal protective equipment, or place medical equipment on the floor in facilities damaged by more than 12 COVID-19s in New York City. , To the bacteria mentioned in violations such as exposing the wounds of residents.

A post-review of the Nursing Home Inspection Report from the State Department of Health was cited with a total of 18 infection control failures since March 2016 at 13 facilities that had at least 10 deaths from coronavirus as of Wednesday. It shows that.

The breach was as recent as January 31 with 20 deaths at the Terence Cardinal Cook Healthcare Center in East Harlem. New Jewish homes on the Upper West Side had 24 dead and three were the most violated samples.

In total, 413 inhabitants of 13 homes were infected with the virus, 2,000 or more The entire city — Governor Cuomo “Eating frenzy. “

“Nursing homes are the biggest horror of all this,” he said at a recent press conference.

Still, despite the vulnerable population, the state ordered homes to accept COVID-19 patients as long as they were medically stable. Post learned that an infectious house is in a house that accepts patients.

Supporters say it created a deadly virus-spreading environment.

“In addition to the fact that we couldn’t manage infection control before, we’re also known to be chronically short of manpower because of lack of PPE and staff staying home because of illness or fear. The industry. ”Brian Lee, a family member for better care, said.

“All these are the perfect storms for this worst case scenario in so many nursing homes.”

Of the state’s infection control citations, the King’s Harbor Multicare Center in the Bronx, the Franklin Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in Queens, and the Carmel Richmond Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Staten Island were the most affected by coronavirus. Large, with 45 deaths each. On the partial list of states The dead house.

Carmel Richmond suffered a handwash violation in October 2016.

” [certified nurse assistant] According to records from the Department of Health, inspectors said they did not wash their hands with soap and water after taking care of incontinence and disposing of dirty linen.

Carmel Richmond was retrained on “the facility’s policy regarding linen handling, hand hygiene, and providing perineal care,” according to a report of corrective actions required to be submitted to the state.

A spokesman defended the facility’s records and noted a five-star rating by the Federal Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

“ This only quote may be related in some way to Covid-19’s tragic loss of life, so spokesman John Goldberg said, heroic caregivers who die every day. Will do great harm to the people. ” Carmel Richmond has brought 19 coronavirus patients from the hospital since Cuomo’s March 25 order. According to Goldberg, 70 COVID-19 restorers were allowed at Terence Cardinal Cook in Harlem, Carmel Richmond’s sister facility.

Kings Harbor also said the spread of COVID-19 is another issue than the infection control citation.

“The outbreak of COVID-19 is not the result of carelessness or flaws in the facility,” said spokeswoman Roy Goldberg. “The essence of long-term care is a high-touch environment, where social separation is not an option in providing care.”

Inadequate handwashing was also seen at the Holliswood Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare in Queens, where 42 residents died, and in the new Jewish home in Manhattan, where 24 people died at COVID-19.

“After removing her dirty gloves, [licensed practical nurse] Washed his hands quickly using improper techniques, ” wrote an inspector for a nurse at Holliswood in December 2017 who had just treated a wound on a resident’s “cracked and stiff” foot. It was.

“We have added additional infection control measures, such as staff education and regular observation,” Holliswood said.

“The facility has been tested annually since, and there were no violations in any area related to infection control,” said spokeswoman Jeffrey Jakomovitz.

The new Jewish home was breached in 2016 and 2018 for hand hygiene, and in July 2019 an inspector said, “Two inhabitants receiving oxygen using oxygen tubes …. Rest on the floor.” Recorded. The property did not respond to messages requesting comment.

The investigators were also connected to the Bronx Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center (18 deaths), the NYS Veterans Home in Queens (19 deaths), and the Isabella Geriatric Center “several times”, to the resident’s respiratory pathways. , Saw oxygen tubes strewn on the floor Washington Heights (13 deaths).

The Bronx Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center said, “The shortage was due to an isolated incident that occurred during the annual recertification survey and the facility cleared the quote to achieve NY DOH satisfaction.” Said Jacomowitz, a spokeswoman for the parent company of. Center Healthcare, which also owns a Holliswood facility in Queens.

“The five-year-old citation is based on an isolated case,” the spokesman Jeffrey Hammond said, “the problem was fixed immediately,” the state health department, which runs the Veterans Home, said.

Could not reach Isabella Geriatrics Center.

The facility also received PPE-related citations.

At the Chateau at the Brooklyn Rehab Donor Center, 90 collectively died at one of the two associated borough facilitiesResidents diagnosed with an infectious bacterial infection known as MRSA, were observed sharing a bedside sandwich with unprotected visitors last June. The facility was under the doctor’s order to post a sign on the resident’s door that directed visitors to wear medical equipment, the quote said.

The inspector was troubled by the finding.

“She was very upset about this, saying her visitors didn’t know she had to wear gowns and gloves yesterday,” the inspector wrote. “I was upset too.”

The chateau did not respond to messages from the post.

Eighteen inhabitants died on the suspicion of a coronavirus at the Huntington Hills Health and Rehabilitation Center on Long Island, according to a facility spokeswoman.

Inspectors there pointed to a dirty infection control issue during their 2016 visit.

“I found a urinal with urine next to the radiator. [a bed] Along with the residents’ open breakfast tray, “the record shows, written by the Health Inspector.

A spokeswoman for one facility declined to quote, mentioning its 5-star CMS rating.

“We continue to take care of each resident according to the guidelines of the CDC and the Department of Health, including strict adherence to infection control protocols,” Genevieve Worthington said.

Ellen Cariddi died of a coronavirus a month after her 85-year-old mother, Evelyn Gengenbach, was dispatched to a facility in Melville, but was not informed about COVID-19 in the wall.

“I think they are 100% responsible for the outbreak of my family. Three of the six members of my family,” she and her two daughters said He pointed out that he became ill after the interaction.

“I got the impression that it was the safest place for my mother.”

The State Department of Health continues to promise, “We are committed to working with nursing homes and other health care providers to establish and implement strong infection control measures … this is our precedent for COVID-19. Is far ahead of the lack of response, “says Hammond.