Springs at Lake Pointe Woods is a 119-bed for-profit nursing home located at 3280 Lake Pointe Drive, Sarasota, Florida. During 2019, this nursing home was inspected by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration as part of the license renewal process. Every nursing home in Florida is inspected at least once every 15 months as well as in response to each complaint filed with the Agency. As a local Sarasota nursing home abuse lawyer, I review and track deficiencies cited against local nursing homes and represent families who seek to hold nursing homes accountable for the harm they cause to our seniors.
This Sarasota nursing home was found in non-compliance
At the time of the inspection in 2019, Springs at Lake Pointe Woods was found in non-compliance with, not only state law, but also the federal Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987. There were several areas of concern to investigators.
Inspectors cited Springs at Lake Pointe Woods with failing to comply with federal requirements related to conducting background screenings of employees, the use of bedrails, and the administration of unnecessary drugs. Florida officials also substantiated and cited the nursing home for failing to comply with the state law requirement and resident right to provide residents with a safe, clean and homelike environment.
Unnecessary drugs in focus…
The administration of unnecessary drugs to residents is often not only wrong, both dangerous too. The federal requirement provides: §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.
To read the complete inspection report, you may view it here: https://tinyurl.com/udonm4q
Two lawsuits alleging negligence and resident rights violations were filed against the nursing home’s operator in 2019
In December, 2019, the families of two seperate residents filed lawsuits against the corporate operators of Springs at Lake Pointe Woods. Both of these lawsuits allege that the nursing home and its corporate operators were negligent in providing care and that they violated the resident rights of these individuals, causing harm and damages.
Do you have questions or concerns regarding the care received by a loved one at Springs at Lake Pointe Woods or another local nursing?
I focus my legal practice on fighting hold bad nursing home corporations accountable for the severe harm that they cause our seniors. If you have questions or concerns about the care or treatment of a loved one in a Florida nursing home, you may call me for a free, confidential consultation at (941) 485-7600. Join us in the fight to improve the quality of care for all Floridians. James Edwin Keim, Sarasota Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer.
