Commander Nursing Center one of six South Carolina nursing homes on a list of the poorest quality nursing homes
Last month the U.S. Senate released a list of nursing homes highlighted for their record of consistently poor care of residents.
This list comprises facilities on the Special Focus Facility program, which is run by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The program aims to provide extra oversight and improvements to the nursing home’s considered the worst by the governing body.
Of the 400 facilities listed in the program, six were in South Carolina:
- Commander Nursing Center
- Blue Ridge of Sumter
- Life Care Center of Hilton Head
- Compass Post Acute Rehabilitation
- Pruitt Health Blythewood
- Riverside Health and Rehab
In South Carolina, the Division of Nursing Homes surveys nursing facilities and skilled nursing facilities that are part of the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and claims to conduct unannounced site visits. The Division claims to include dieticians, generalists, nurses, pharmacists, and social workers. When it comes to investigating complaints, the Division advertises that it has a special staff of surveyors who visit the facilities to investigate.
CMS Unveils Poor Record for Commander Nursing Center
Commander Nursing Center, located at 4438 Pamplico Highway in Florence, had a detailed report released of the facility’s transgressions over the last three years. Since June 1, 2018, the facility has had 30 federally registered complaints. of the complaints, these include:
- Tight, uncomfortable accommodations which make navigating the facility difficult for low-mobility residents.
- Long response times by staff and orderly’s when responding to calls by residents for medication or call lights
- Failure to respond and care for incontinent residents for up to nine hours
- Staff and orderly’s refusing to help residents to the bathroom and instead let residents soil their briefs in bed
- Failure of staff to document complaints and follow through with the complaints with upper management
- Rough and abusive dialogue from staff towards residents when requesting care, specifically bathroom requests
These were only a handful of the documented incidents in the report provided by Medicare. You can read the whole 60-page report here.
One South Carolina Nursing Home & Veteran Complaints
Investigators also found that officials failed to investigate claims of abuse and injuries at home for veterans: Veterans’ Victory House in Walterboro. Some of these allegations included people being beaten by their roommates, residents’ calls for help being routinely ignored, others found cut and bloodied, etc. Inspectors also found that a number of veterans had “unexplained injuries” such as eye wounds and hip and nose fractures that no one looked into. In fact, according to reports, the circumstances were so bad that inspectors found what is known as “immediate jeopardy,” whereby there is a presence of such danger that residents need to be moved to another facility immediately.
Why This Remains Hidden From The Public
Still, sadly, the public has not been put on proper notice about serious concerns when it comes to these nursing homes. This is especially the case for any facilities that are left on the list – or “candidate” facilities – that cannot make it onto the list of special focus facilities due to the 88 facility maximum that the list carries. Staffing levels and training underlie a number of problems in these facilities.
Call Dan Pruitt if your Loved One Has Experienced Nursing Home Abuse
Any Florence residents who have experienced abuse at the hands of the staff at Commander Nursing Center or any other Nursing Home in South Carolina should call the Dan Pruitt Law Firm today for a no obligation, free consultation today.
Dan Pruitt is well-versed in litigating cases against bad nursing homes all across South Carolina. Call his office today at 864-280-7660.