Ridgecrest Village facing state, federal scrutiny

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By Ann McGlynn | Thursday, July 17, 2008 |

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Ridgecrest Village Investigation

One of the Quad-Cities’ premier nursing facilities faces state and federal sanctions after a series of problems that led to one resident’s death after a fall and injuries to other residents that required medical care.

Ridgecrest Village’s skilled nursing facility, 4130 Northwest Blvd., Davenport, cannot admit any new residents, is on a conditional status with the State of Iowa and faces a $400-a-day fine from federal authorities, retroactive to the end of April, state officials said Tuesday. State fines since the beginning of the year total more than $20,000. Ridgecrest also could lose its Medicare and Medicaid funding.

The center submitted plans to the state to correct the problems, spokesman Bob Morrison said. Consultants are on-site to help put those plans in place. Ridgecrest officials hope state officials will visit again within a few days to clear them.

“All of the staff is working really hard to make sure everything is the highest quality possible,” Morrison said. “We look forward to getting it resolved.”

The facility, he said, has nearly 100 residents and is full. The majority of the residents, a state spokesman said, pay for their own care. Ridgecrest is a nonprofit retirement community operated by Christian Retirement Homes Inc.

In March, the skilled nursing facility was fined $10,000 for the January death of the resident who fell from a wheelchair. A staff member was pushing when the resident put a foot down, causing the wheelchair to stop suddenly. The resident landed on the floor and died the next day as a result of a head injury.

The $10,000 fine was also the result of a second resident’s November fall from bed that resulted in a broken hip and a head laceration.

Also in March, Ridgecrest was fined $4,000 for improper medication and treatment. Specifically, staff did not properly care for a resident who had severe constipation and a foot wound that required a hospital stay for treatment of an antibiotic-resistant bacteria known as MRSA. A portion of the resident’s foot had to be amputated, reports say, with continued problems in regards to caring for the incision.

A second resident was treated at the hospital for dehydration after eating or drinking very little for four days, records state. Staff members also failed to properly document problems with skin tears.

The state issued a second $4,000 fine for improper wound care in March.

A visit at the end of April resulted in no fines but revealed several issues, documents show. For example, staff frequently failed to keep residents hydrated. In one instance, a staff member entered a room and announced “fresh water.” After the resident declined water, the employee left the room without pouring any water. The employee also left the water cups out of the reach of the resident, who required assistance to move about.

Inspectors also noted improper toilet care for residents, inadequate treatment for a pressure sore and cleanliness issues.

In June, Ridgecrest was fined $3,500 after a resident fell from a chair on May 18. An X-ray taken the day after the fall revealed a hip fracture. The resident was not taken to the emergency room for treatment until two days after the fall, despite yelling out in pain throughout that time period.

And the facility was fined $2,500 this month after a resident fell from bed and suffered a head wound in June. A privately hired “sitter” had spent the majority of the evening with the resident but left before staff members found the resident on the floor with clothes saturated in blood.

Ridgecrest Village is one of three Quad-City area nursing homes that have been under scrutiny recently by state and federal regulators:

- Meadowlawn Health Care Center on West Kimberly Road, Davenport, closed at the end of September after the federal government pulled its Medicare and Medicaid funding and the state moved to pull the center’s license. Meadowlawn was fined several times in the previous two years for inadequate care. The last fine was $12,000 for the nursing home moving residents out, with little notice or choice, as the company shuttered the facility, according to the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals.

-ManorCare, 815 E. Locust St., Davenport, was declared to be back in “substantial compliance” in March after it had accumulated thousands of dollars in fines for inadequate care. The facility, however, remained under close scrutiny by state investigators under a conditional license with several restrictions.

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