Nursing home in Albion fined $20K for Covid response

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 September 2020 at 8:16 am

The Villages of Orleans hasn’t had any new Covid cases since late May

Photo by Tom Rivers: The flag is lowered in this photo from May at The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center in Albion, out of respect for the victims of Covid-19. The state has had more than 25,000 people die after contracting Covid-19, including 30 at The Villages.

ALBION — The state has fined The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center $20,000 for its response to Covid-19. The fine is based on an inspection at the Albion nursing home in May.

The Villages is one of 23 nursing homes in the state that have been fined for failing to provide proper infection prevention and control measures.

The fines of the nursing homes ranged from $2,000 to $50,000. The $20,000 fine at The Villages was the seventh highest in the state, according to a report from The Buffalo News.

At The Villages in Albion, 89 residents tested positive for Covid-19 and 30 died after getting it. The 120-bed facility hasn’t had any new confirmed cases since late May.

The state Department of Health inspected The Village son May 9 and said there was a threat of “immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety.”

The Villages corrected the failings according to a follow-up inspection on June 15.

DOH inspectors on May 9 said facility staff weren’t following proper infection prevention and control measures. One example included certified nursing aides and licensed practical nurses entering and exiting a room of a person with Covid, and then entering rooms of other residents without Covid.

The staff “passed breakfast trays, assisted with the residents’ meals and provided hands on care without wearing PPE and completing proper hand hygiene,” according to the DOH report.

The DOH said personal protective equipment wasn’t readily available to staff. Several employees told DOH there wasn’t adequate PPE for workers. DOH reported the director of nursing showed DOH staff a PPE storage room that had 1,000 surgical masks, 88,500 gloves, 600 powder free gloves, 480 N95 face masks, 1,950 gowns, 308 face shields, 19 pairs of goggles, 1,900 surgical masks, and 100 pairs of booties. The DON told the DOH inspectors that that only she and the assistant director of nursing had keys to this storage room.

The Department of Health also reported that many nursing home employees, including agency staff, did not seem educated on infection control policies, standard/droplet precautions and Covid-19.

“If employees are not following the proper measures for infection control, there is a risk for transmission and spread,” the DOH said in the inspection.

To see the report, click here.

Return to top