There has been a great deal of media coverage regarding the quality of care in Connecticut nursing homes these days, as well as on a national level. So a post about how to file a complaint against a nursing home seems timely.
The very first thing to keep in mind is that both state law and federal law offer protection against reprisal when you file a complaint.
Complaints should be filed with the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH), Facility Licensing and Investigations Section, 410 Capitol Avenue, MS# 12 HSR, Hartford, CT 06134-0308. Their phone number is (860) 509-7400, fax is (860) 509-7538.
The DPH does not require a specific form for the complaint, but they should be made in writing and copies of all correspondence should be maintained. Provide specific information, such as what exactly occurred, times and dates, names, witnesses, medical treatment triggered by the alleged abuse, etc. You should also indicate the corrective action that you feel needs to take place.
If a complaint claims that a resident is in "jeopardy", then the State must begin an investigation within two days. Language indicating that you believe the resident is in jeopardy of physical or mental harm if immediate corrective action is not taken should prompt the expedited response by DPH. If some sort of jeopardy is not alleged then it may be months before something happens.
DPH should keep you updated on the status of the investigation and you are entitled to a copy of the completed investigation report. If DPH determines that there has been any violation of law then the nursing home must complete a corrective plan. DPH can also order corrective action and impose sanctions, fines, and license suspension or revocation.
If there was an injury to your loved one and you want to ge beyond the complaint process, then you should contact an attorney that specializes in personal injury law. By the way, that would not be me! But if you are in Connecticut I am always happy to refer you to a competent PI attorney.
My 88 year old father was at a local (5 star) nursing home, West
view, for rehab following hip replacement. At lunch one day he tells the assistant that he didn't understand the TV (which he had been using for a week) the assistant immediately went and told the nurse; who did nothing. I came in six hours later and found him unable to speak well and having trouble seeing. They called his doctor and they wanted to "wait and see" yeah wait and see if he dies. To which I told them he's going to the emergency room. The information they sent over said "he was generally confused" which he was not, he is sharp as a tack and even the helper girl said she reported it because she had many lengthy discussions with him and knew something was wrong. An obvious attempt to cover up for their lack of proper attention to the matter. Long story short he had a stroke and thankfully he'd been on aspirin so there was little damage. But these people are criminal in their neglect of the situation and I'll be filling a complaint so that we can testify against them when they get around to killing someone next time.
Posted by: Andrew | August 13, 2013 at 10:58 AM