Claru Deville Nursing Center Rates As A “Below Average” Facility According To Federal Government
Fredericktown, Missouri is home to Claru Deville Nursing Center which is a long term care facility with 90 beds. At the time of this writing, the federal government has given this facility a two star overall rating which, according to the government definition, is a “below average” facility. In the health inspection category, Claru Deville Nursing Center received a one star rating which is “much below average” when compared to other facilities in the State of Missouri.
In it’s most recent survey, Claru Deville Nursing Center received 17 citations which is nearly three times the state average of 6.2 and far exceeds the national average of 7.2. Some of the areas cited in the government survey are:
- The Facility FAILED to follow physicians orders for medication administration
- The Facility FAILED to provide adequate incontinence care for multiple residents
- The Facility FAILED to provide proper transfer techniques for multiple residents
- The Facility FAILED to keep its medication error rate below 5%
- In fact, Claru Deville was found to have an astonishing 30% medication error rate.
- The Facility FAILED to implement an effective system to provide correct medication orders
- The Facility FAILED to use proper infection control techniques
- The Facility FAILED to maintain a proper Quality Assessment and Assurance Committee
What Went Wrong?
While there is much to be troubled about in this survey, the 30% medication error rate is an eye-popping statistic. It is fair to say that almost every resident puts their complete trust in nursing home employees to follow directions, follow orders, and follow nursing standards when giving medications. Some medications require that a resident’s blood pressure be checked before giving medication because the medication is only safe to give when the blood pressure is within certain parameters. Failing to check blood pressure could have disastrous consequences, yet on multiple occasions, Claru Deville Nursing Center employees chose to ignore this requirement.
Other medications require the medications be mixed before being given to residents in an inhaler. Again, on multiple occasions that was not done at this facility. There was at least once instance where prescribed medication was not given at all and another where medication that was supposed to be implemented through a gravity drip was given to the resident by “force with a plunger”. While the medication was forced through a medication device, the danger remains when the medication is given improperly.
What Could Have Happened?
If medications are given in a manner other than how prescribed residents could be in serious danger of injury or death. Thankfully it does not appear that this happened during this survey period, but it is not difficult to find instances where people have died as a result of getting medications improperly or not getting medications at all.