Life Care Center of Punta Gorda found deficient in multiple areas during 2019 inspection: License downgraded to “conditional” status by State of Florida
Punta Gorda nursing home, Life Care Center of Punta Gorda, was inspected by investigators with the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration during 2019. Life Care Center of Punta Gorda is a 180-bed nursing home located at 450 Shreve Street, Punta Gorda, Florida 33950.
During October, 2019, investigators with the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration conducted an unannounced survey inspection at Life Care Center of Punta Gorda as part of the facility’s biennial license renewal process. At that time, this nursing home was cited with multiple deficiencies by Florida officials, many of which related to the quality of resident care. While the Agency ultimately permitted the renewal of the nursing home’s license, it downgraded the facility’s license to “conditional” status based upon the inspection results and other factors under consideration at that time.
Life Care Center of Punta Gorda failed to meet infection control requirements
One of the most important requirements for nursing homes under federal law is that they ensure that proper infection control protocol are in place and followed by staff at all times. During the 2019 inspection, Life Care Center of Punta Gorda was found to have failed to meet this requirement. The applicable law that was violated provides:
§483.80 Infection Control The facility must establish and maintain an infection prevention and control program designed to provide a safe, sanitary and comfortable environment and to help prevent the development and transmission of communicable diseases and infections. §483.80(a) Infection prevention and control program. The facility must establish an infection prevention and control program (IPCP) that must include, at a minimum, the following elements: §483.80(a)(1) A system for preventing, identifying, reporting, investigating, and controlling infections and communicable diseases for all residents, staff, volunteers, visitors, and other individuals providing services under a contractual arrangement based upon the facility assessment conducted according to §483.70(e) and following accepted national standards; §483.80(a)(2) Written standards, policies, and procedures for the program, which must include, but are not limited to: (i) A system of surveillance designed to identify possible communicable diseases or infections before they can spread to other persons in the facility; (ii) When and to whom possible incidents of communicable disease or infections should be reported; (iii) Standard and transmission-based precautions to be followed to prevent spread of infections; (iv)When and how isolation should be used for a resident; including but not limited to: (A) The type and duration of the isolation, depending upon the infectious agent or organism involved, and (B) A requirement that the isolation should be the least restrictive possible for the resident under the circumstances. (v) The circumstances under which the facility must prohibit employees with a communicable disease or infected skin lesions from direct contact with residents or their food, if direct contact will transmit the disease; and (vi)The hand hygiene procedures to be followed by staff involved in direct resident contact. §483.80(a)(4) A system for recording incidents identified under the facility’s IPCP and the corrective actions taken by the facility. §483.80(e) Linens. Personnel must handle, store, process, and transport linens so as to prevent the spread of infection. §483.80(f) Annual review. The facility will conduct an annual review of its IPCP and update their program, as necessary.
Problems at this Punta Gorda Nursing Home also included…
Physician orders not followed
The failure to follow physician orders for a resident can represent a direct threat of serious harm to that resident. Most often, nurses working in nursing homes fail to follow physician orders because they are overworked and understaffed on the floor. During the October, 2019 inspection, Life Care Center of Punta Gorda was cited for failing to meet this important requirement under Florida law.
Failure to provide adequate and appropriate healthcare
A basic nursing home resident right is that each resident shall receive adequate and appropriate healthcare. Specifically, this requirement provides for:
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.
Life Care Center of Punta Gorda was found to have failed to meet this important requirement during the 2019 license renewal inspection.
Background verifications for C.N.A. employees
The employment history of each Certified Nurse Assistant must be verified by the nursing home before allowing the prospective employee to come into contact with residents. The nursing home must make diligent, reasonable efforts to do so. Specifically, Florida law requires (in addition to performing criminal background checks) the following:
Nursing homes shall require persons seeking employment as a certified nursing assistant to submit an employment history to the facility. The facility shall verify the employment history unless, through diligent efforts, such verification is not possible. There shall be no monetary liability on the part of, and no cause of action for damages shall arise against, a former employer who reasonably and in good faith communicates his or her honest opinion about a former employee’s job performance.
The importance of this requirement cannot be overstated. There may be instances where an employee, while previously employed at another nursing home, was suspected of criminal misconduct but, for one or more reasons, was never charged with a crime or prosecuted for an offense. This requirement allows diligent nursing home administrators to weed out applicants who carry with them troubling baggage or a cloud of uncertainty.
Other serious deficiencies were found at the time of this inspection. The complete October, 2019 inspection report and findings for Life Care Center of Punta Gorda may be viewed here: http://apps.ahca.myflorida.com/dm_web/DMWeb_Docs/10059184.pdf
Life Care Center of Punta Gorda’s license renewed in 2019, but downgraded to “Conditional” status
Based on the inspection results documented during the investigation which concluded on October 31, 2019, the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration renewed the nursing home license; however, at that time, the Agency downgraded Life Care Center of Punta Gorda’s license to “conditional” status as reflected on the State of Florida website:
Have concerns regarding the care of a loved one at Life Care Center of Punta Gorda or another nursing home?
If you have questions or concerns regarding the care of a loved one at Life Care Center of Punta Gorda or another Charlotte County, FL nursing home, you may call me for a free, confidential consultation at (941) 485-7600. Our law firm works entirely on a contingency fee and cost basis. Our mission is to hold bad nursing home corporations accountable for their misconduct and to fight to improve the quality of care for all Floridians. James Edwin Keim, Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer.
