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E-mail This StoryPlano resident Richard Ward believes his life was in jeopardy after he said that staff members at a long-term-care facility deprived him of some vital medication.
“What went on there was criminal,” said Ward, a retired Army emergency medicine physician’s assistant. “I’m fortunate that I had my nose in those people’s business and I can read a medical report.”
Despite his allegations, staff at the Life Care Center of Plano believe they give their residents professional care in a spirit of love and compassion, and remain alert to that goal and pursue it each day, according to Kimberly Hannan, LCCP executive director.
“Residents are our first priority at Life Care Center of Plano, and their safety and well-being is our paramount goal in our day-to-day operations,” Hannan said. “We have dedicated staff of associates who are committed to that mission of service.”
Ward filed a formal complaint with the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services.
Laura Albrecht, DADS press information officer, said the agency will investigate the complaint.
“We take every complaint seriously,” Albrecht said. “Medication errors are a part of our regulatory inspection.”
Rob Alderman, Life Care Centers of America Public Relations director, said there are two sides to every story, but due to HIPAA laws the corporation is unable to go into details regarding the personal care of a resident.
“They come into violation with legal restraints,” Alderman said. “The laws are meant to protect the resident, which is exactly what we want to do.”
After suffering two heart attacks in a five-day period, Ward said he felt he needed to be under 24-hour care.
He admitted himself into the Life Care Center of Plano on May 27 and gave the staff a list describing the 16 medications he is prescribed to take every day.
Ward said he began to feel worse within 24 hours under LCCP’s care.
“I could hardly walk to the bathroom,” Ward said. “I started checking my cup of medication, they were giving me against what I was supposed to be taking and they weren’t the same.”
Ward said he asked a medication technician what kinds of pills they were giving him, and they replied, “the ones your doctor wants you to take.”
Two days went by before Ward had his first visit from a doctor at the facility. According to Ward’s medical records, at 10 a.m., the doctor conducted a history and physical and tested his INR level, the standard unit for reporting the clotting time of blood.
Ward said his INR level had dropped to a 1.2, despite specific instructions given by doctors at the Medical Center of Plano for Ward to remain between a 2.0-2.3.
“I panicked,” Ward said. “I thought I was on the brink of death.”
Ward said the doctor realized he was not receiving his prescribed Coumadin and Lovenox, both of his blood thinning medications.
Ward feared a clot would form and he would possibly go into cardiac arrest.
He said the doctor called an emergency meeting with the facility’s administration.
The staff ordered both medications from their contracted warehouse in Fort Worth.
Ward contacted his good friend and roommate, Darlene Starr, to express his concern.
Starr said she was appalled how the staff “drug their feet,” even after she made continuous phone calls asking where Ward’s medication was.
“Richard was in fear of his life,” Starr said. “I’ve never seen him so afraid.”
Valerie Brittingham, Ward’s ex-wife who works as an emergency room nurse, said she contacted the head nurse on duty when Ward informed her he was not getting his medication.
“They assured me everything would be taken care of,” Brittingham said. “Medications for any heart patient are vital. I consider them negligent. Lovenox and Coumadin are essential.”
Starr said six hours after the medicine was ordered, Ward still had not received anything.
“I called to ask why he had not received his medicine and the administrator told me he would call the pharmacy,” Starr said. “No one at the facility followed through. Richard was left lying there panicking.”
Starr said she made the call to the hospital at 4:46 p.m. She said 10 minutes later they called back, and the medicine had been administered.
“The medicine had already arrived at the facility,” Starr said. “There was no follow-up and no communication between the facility and the pharmacy.”
Ward’s INR level went back to the required level, but he said the “nightmare” was not over.
He said the Lovenox shot was supposed to be administered every 12 hours. He said by 9 a.m. the next morning he had not received any of his medications. The Lovenox was supposed to be injected at 5 a.m.
“I went and found the medication nurse and she told me she had not gotten around to me yet,” Ward said. “I said, look I can’t wait. I’ve had two heart attacks and I need it every 12 hours like it’s required.”
Ward said he received his pills along with his shot about 45 minutes later.
At 9:30 p.m., Ward said he became panicked when again the medication nurse did not administer his Lovenox at the appropriate time.
“When I went to inquire about it, yet again, the technician said none was ordered and I was not supposed to get an injection,” Ward said. “I told them to look at their med book. When she did, she realized I was supposed to get the shot.”
At this point Ward said he feared this cycle of neglect would never end.
“I told them, ‘you people are going to kill me,’” Ward said. “I told them to give me all of my medications, and I was out of there.”
Ward checked out of the facility 17 days earlier than he anticipated.
“This was a horrifying experience,” Ward said. “I worked in the medical field and mistakes happen, but they are usually corrected.”
Ward requested a copy of his medical records after leaving the facility.
When they arrived, he noticed numerous discrepancies. In the 142-page report, Ward had three different names including Thomas, Robert and Richard.
Page 19 of the record shows that Ward was administered his Lovenox and Coumadin the day he was admitted into the facility, May 27. The original order form on page 100 shows those medicines were never ordered. Page 16 proves the doctor ordered the medications on May 29.
“They are incompetent, negligent and ignorant,” Starr said. “Every medicine period they made a mistake.”
In October, DADS conducted their Survey/Inspection report at LCCP.
Albrecht said the facility had seven federal deficiencies, one life safety code deficiency and 11 state licensure deficiencies. She said they were all cleared by Nov. 5.
Medication errors, one of DADS top 10 deficiencies, was the main violation in the survey report.
According to the report, the facility failed to ensure the medication error rate was less than 5 percent. On Oct. 3, DADS surveyors, including nurses and dieticians, observed LCCP staff administer medication to nine residents. Out of the nine, two residents were incorrectly administered their medication.
The report stated the facility failed to order one of the resident’s medications and the other error was a result of improperly injecting a medication.
“When the surveyors conduct their inspection, they take a sampling of residents,” Albrecht said. “Not all residents can be observed.”
The state agency also cited the care facility for failing to ensure all physician-ordered medications were transcribed to the resident’s Medication Record for one of 22 sampled residents.
They also failed to complete a performance review of every nurse aide at least once every 12 months and provide regular in-service education based on the outcome of these reviews.
Out of three Certified Nurse Aide’s sampled, three failed to meet this requirement.
“When they get cited for a deficiency, they have to submit a plan of correction,” Albrecht said. “Most of them were corrected the very next day.”
Since Ward made an official complaint to DADS, the agency will investigate within 45 days.
Ward said his main concern is the residents still residing in this facility.
“Coming from a medical background, I’m very cognoscente when it comes to medical care,” Ward said. “I’m primarily concerned about the people who can’t read their medication sheets and they trust the facility is giving them their proper medications and doses.”
Out of the multiple discrepancies from the 2007 Survey/Inspection report, DADS Quality Reporting System gave LCCP an 81 overall rating.
Out of Plano’s five nursing facilities that accept Medicaid and/or Medicare LCCP was almost top of the list other than Prestonwood Rehabilitation & Nursing, which received a perfect score of 100.
The Park In Plano also earned an 81. Heritage Manor Healthcare Center and The Collinwood both received a 56.
Although not as detailed as the annual Survey/Inspection report, Albrecht said QRS is a good way for residents to review facilities.
To comment on this story, visit www.scntx.com. Contact Stephanie Flemmons at sflemmons@acnpapers.com
