No fine for New York nursing home after maggots found in patient's wound

A New York nursing home was cited but not fined by the state health department after maggots were found in the wound of an 89-year-old patient, according to The Buffalo News. 

On both Sept. 21 and Sept. 25, maggots were found in Mary Ellen Sharp's leg and foot wounds while she was at Batavia, N.Y.-based Premier Genesee Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation. Ms. Sharp's granddaughter, Krysten Schmidt, filed a complaint with the state health department after a nurse aide informed her of the maggots, The Buffalo News reports.

An October health department investigation found flies in residents' rooms, a dining room and the main kitchen, among other places at the nursing home. Doors to the outside were ajar, window screens were not properly installed and bug light traps were unplugged.

In regard to Ms. Sharp, the investigation discovered a physician had failed to dress her wound after treatment, leaving the wound exposed for hours. The nursing home also failed to immediately notify a physician and relatives of a change in the resident's condition. 

Premier Genesee has been fined $12,000 since 2017 for other violations, though no fines were imposed for the maggots, Jeffrey Hammond, a health department spokesperson, told The Buffalo News. He said, "The facility was required to implement a plan of correction to ensure that this type of incident does not occur in the future."

Ms. Sharp's family moved her to a different nursing home Oct. 3 and filed a lawsuit Dec. 19 against Premier Genesee.

Lisa Sofia, RN, CEO of Premier Genesee, declined The Buffalo News' request for comment, citing the pending lawsuit.

A New York nursing home was cited but not fined by the state health department after maggots were found in the wound of an 89-year-old patient, according to The Buffalo News.

On both Sept. 21 and Sept. 25, maggots were found in Mary Ellen Sharp's leg and foot wounds while she was at Batavia, N.Y.-based Premier Genesee Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation. Ms. Sharp's granddaughter, Krysten Schmidt, filed a complaint with the state health department after a nurse aide informed her of the maggots, The Buffalo News reports.

An October health department investigation found flies in residents' rooms, a dining room and the main kitchen, among other places at the nursing home. Doors to the outside were ajar, window screens were not properly installed and bug light traps were unplugged.

In regard to Ms. Sharp, the investigation discovered a physician had failed to dress her wound after treatment, leaving the wound exposed for hours. The nursing home also failed to immediately notify a physician and relatives of a change in the resident's condition.

Premier Genesee has been fined $12,000 since 2017 for other violations, though no fines were imposed for the maggots, Jeffrey Hammond, a health department spokesperson, told The Buffalo News. He said, "The facility was required to implement a plan of correction to ensure that this type of incident does not occur in the future."

Ms. Sharp's family moved her to a different nursing home Oct. 3 and filed a lawsuit Dec. 19 against Premier Genesee.

Lisa Sofia, RN, CEO of Premier Genesee, declined The Buffalo News' request for comment, citing the pending lawsuit.

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