After discovering maggots in a patient’s catheter, a nursing home was placed on a federal agency’s list for providing less than satisfactory care to patients. Since the incident in September, inspectors have noted that the nursing home has been making improvements in the quality of care that is being provided to patients.
The incident has certainly forced the facility to make some much needed improvements, but the incident is also another horrifying example of how nursing home negligence is a serious problem that can harm the health of patients in Illinois and throughout the entire U.S.
The Whitehall Healthcare Center, located in Michigan, was under fire after a complaint was filed regarding maggots that were discovered on a patient. According to reports, even after a staff member discovered the maggots that were infesting the patient’s catheter, the employee failed to immediately bathe the patient.
The patient was taken to a local hospital to receive treatment for the incident. She was later diagnosed with a hip fracture that had gone unnoticed as well. After investigating the incident, it was also discovered that nursing home staff had requested not to report the discovery of the maggots but instead to report that dead tissue was found on the woman.
According to the facility’s director, the problem was corrected immediately after it was reported. In addition, the nursing home paid $17,600 in fines and was prohibited from receiving payments from Medicare and Medicaid for new patients. He added that the facility will continue to become better for both patients and caregivers because substandard care is unacceptable.
The Whitehall Healthcare Center came into the limelight in July as well after a worker was arrested for allegedly assaulting a 77-year-old resident.
Source: AnnArbor.com, “Inspectors see improvements at nursing home where maggots were found in catheter,” Cindy Heflin, Nov. 3 2011
