Pines of Sarasota complaints documented by investigators with the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration during 2019 resulted in the issuance of multiple citations of deficiencies against the Sarasota nursing home.
Pines of Sarasota found to be deficient in the areas of …
Quality of Life
Every nursing home must ensure that its residents attain and maintain the highest practicable quality of life. During 2019, Pines of Sarasota was cited in violation of federal law for failing to meet this federal requirement:
§ 483.24 Quality of life Quality of life is a fundamental principle that applies to all care and services provided to facility residents. Each resident must receive and the facility must provide the necessary care and services to attain or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being, consistent with the resident’s comprehensive assessment and plan of care.
Medication Issues
Medication errors can have grave consequences for residents who receive the wrong dosage or an improper medication. Psychotropic medications may only be sued under certain circumstances. Pines of Sarasota was found to be deficient in meeting the following federal requirement during a 2019 inspection:
§483.45(e) Psychotropic Drugs. §483.45(c)(3) A psychotropic drug is any drug that affects brain activities associated with mental processes and behavior. These drugs include, but are not limited to, drugs in the following categories: (i) Anti-psychotic; (ii) Anti-depressant; (iii) Anti-anxiety; and (iv) Hypnotic Based on a comprehensive assessment of a resident, the facility must ensure that— §483.45(e)(1) Residents who have not used psychotropic drugs are not given these drugs unless the medication is necessary to treat a specific condition as diagnosed and documented in the clinical record; §483.45(e)(2) Residents who use psychotropic drugs receive gradual dose reductions, and behavioral interventions, unless clinically contraindicated, in an effort to discontinue these drugs; §483.45(e)(3) Residents do not receive psychotropic drugs pursuant to a PRN order unless that medication is necessary to treat a diagnosed specific condition that is documented in the clinical record; and §483.45(e)(4) PRN orders for psychotropic drugs are limited to 14 days. Except as provided in §483.45(e)(5), if the attending physician or prescribing practitioner believes that it is appropriate for the PRN order to be extended beyond 14 days, he or she should document their rationale in the resident’s medical record and indicate the duration for the PRN order. §483.45(e)(5) PRN orders for anti-psychotic drugs are limited to 14 days and cannot be renewed unless the attending physician or prescribing practitioner evaluates the resident for the appropriateness of that medication.
Treatment or Services for Dementia
Residents with dementia have special needs. Pines of Sarasota was cited in violation of the following federal requirement during 2019:
§483.40(b)(3) A resident who displays or is diagnosed with dementia, receives the appropriate treatment and services to attain or maintain his or her highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being.
Failure to Provide Adequate and Appropriate Healthcare
Every Florida nursing home must ensure that its residents received adequate and appropriate healthcare. This is a basic resident right. During a 2019 inspection, investigators found evidence that Pines of Sarasota failed to comply with the following requirement set forth under Florida law:
The right to receive adequate and appropriate health care and protective and support services, including social services; mental health services, if available; planned recreational activities; and therapeutic and rehabilitative services consistent with the resident care plan, with established and recognized practice standards within the community, and with rules as adopted by the agency.
Food and Nutrition Concerns Cited
Additionally, investigators found fault with Pines of Sarasota in failing to comply with the following federal requirement relating to food and nutrition:
§483.60(i) Food safety requirements. The facility must – §483.60(i)(1) – Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory by federal, state or local authorities. (i) This may include food items obtained directly from local producers, subject to applicable State and local laws or regulations. (ii) This provision does not prohibit or prevent facilities from using produce grown in facility gardens, subject to compliance with applicable safe growing and food-handling practices. (iii) This provision does not preclude residents from consuming foods not procured by the facility. §483.60(i)(2) – Store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards for food service safety.
The entire survey inspection results from this August, 2019 investigation may be found here: https://tinyurl.com/uxhdclp
Have a complaint or problem involving the care of a loved one at a Sarasota Nursing Home?
You may be asking yourself: Is there a nursing home abuse lawyer near me who has local experience dealing with Pines of Sarasota complaints and concerns pertaining to resident care? If so, please feel free to call me for a free, confidential consultation at (941) 485-7600. James Edwin Keim, Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer.