Connecticut’s long-term care ombudsman says a “horrific” report is one of dozens of complaints she’s received about Fresh River Healthcare, a nursing home in East Windsor.
She released disturbing, graphic video delivered by an anonymous reporter, showing an elderly male resident suffering from a maggot-infested wound on his head that she says wasn’t being treated properly.
The ombudsman, Mairead Painter, appeared at a Thursday morning press conference outside the facility, joined by two Democratic lawmakers, state Sen. Dr. Saud Anwar and state Rep. Jane Garibay.
“(The resident) was complaining of pain and yelling and screaming in pain,” says Anwar. “Rather than addressing his pain or taking care of him, they put him in a secured memory unit and did not provide him the care. Thankfully, somebody had complained.”
The state Department of Public Health (DPH) says it can’t comment on the individual case, but Fresh River is one of three nursing homes owned by iCare Health Network recently cited for failure to maintain minimum staffing levels.
Painter says she’s filed 6 staffing complaints against Fresh River, saying, “The facility has failed to meet individual care needs and consistently failed to maintain the minimum required staffing ratios in Connecticut. Without appropriate staffing, how can a facility be prepared to meet the actual care needs of their residents?”
The lawmakers called for improved state oversight of nursing homes. Currently, Anwar says DPH is “able to make a decision that there’s ‘immediate jeopardy,’ which means that such major mistakes or wrong actions are being taken that the licenses of these facilities can be pulled.”
Anwar adds that the patient’s condition has improved, but he will likely require skin grafts to replace lost tissue.
Without denying the complaint, an iCare spokesperson issued a statement saying the press conference “mischaracterized” the incident:
Neither Fresh River Healthcare nor iCare Health Network received advance notice of the event or any specific allegations from the elected officials involved, the Ombudsman's Office, or the family reportedly raising concerns. The center is not aware of any pending Department of Public Health investigation related to these allegations, and no concerns were communicated by the Senator's office organizing the event.'
As a direct result of learning about the press conference, iCare Health Network initiated its own investigation into the alleged concerns. This investigation was prompted solely by the press conference, as no complaint or report concerning these allegations had previously been received from any of the parties involved.
Speakers at the press conference spoke about a specific resident of the nursing home. The speakers significantly mischaracterized the resident's specific care and needs. Although privacy laws limit what Fresh River Healthcare can disclose, it is important to note that the nursing home has a comprehensive care plan to address the resident's specific needs. The resident has been seen frequently by a team of medical providers, and the care has been documented extensively in the resident's medical record.
