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ManorCare receives state sanctions

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By Ann McGlynn | Monday, February 18, 2008 10:24 PM CST | () comments

A Davenport nursing home faces state scrutiny and cannot accept new patients whose care is paid for with Medicare and Medicaid, a spokesman for the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals said.

ManorCare, 815 E. Locust St., has been unable to accept such patients since Jan. 5 because it was unable to meet state expectations. Furthermore, state inspectors completed a three-week visit to ManorCare earlier this month. A report on that visit is expected soon.

Officials from ManorCare declined comment on the most recent visit, but they did say the company is holding off on any new admissions.

“We take the survey process very seriously and work closely with state officials to address any areas of concern identified in the survey,” a statement from company officials reads. “It is ManorCare’s intent to comply fully with applicable regulations.”

Reports from two visits in October by state officials, which prompted the admission restrictions, detail a series of problems with wound care, fall prevention, food service and housekeeping.

For example:

-- Investigators found problems with the wound care of five patients, including failure to monitor and document wounds. The most egregious case was that of a patient whose wound grew to 7½ by 5½ inches. The patient died from failure to thrive and a loss of oxygen to the brain, records indicate. However, the death record said pressure wounds contributed to the death.

-- Residents were given food that was too cold, too warm and did not taste good, investigators found, noting that some family members bring in food to the patients. They also were served late meals and meals that did not include all of the items on the menu. Also, residents were not given the help they needed to eat, with one resident left sitting with his food just out of reach for 15 minutes while a staff member helped the person sitting next to him. The resident repeatedly reached for his food and put his fingers in his mouth as he waited.

-- A resident who broke his thumb in a fall did not have the proper alarms turned on in his area to alert the staff that he was moving. For example, an investigator saw the patient sitting in a wheelchair in his bedroom with an alarm on his chair two days in a row. However, the alarm was not turned on.

ManorCare is part of Manor Care Inc., which was acquired recently by The Carlyle Group.

The company is building a new 120-bed, $14 million nursing home in northwest Bettendorf. It is scheduled to be completed in September. Officials have said the Davenport facility will remain open.

This is not the first time ManorCare has faced problems in Davenport.

In 2002, the facility was fined by the state after an employee overmedicated a resident and the resident died. The employee incorrectly transcribed a physician’s orders for the narcotic Roxanol, documents state.

Instead of 10 milligrams of the medication, the record directed staff to administer 10 milliliters of the medication, or 200 milligrams.

ManorCare’s new nursing home in West Des Moines was fined by state officials a total of $19,500 just months after its 2006 opening.

One of the fines was for $2,000 for inappropriate discharge or transfer of patients based on their ability to pay. At the time, the center’s administrator told state inspectors they would like all patients to be people who pay out of their own pocket.

“I don’t want to fill up 120 beds with Medicaid long-term residents,” he said.

Ann McGlynn can be contacted at (563) 383-2336 or amcglynn@qctimes.com.