THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 13, 1995 TAG: 9501130545
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF AND WIRE REPORT
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
The best ``quality-assurance'' effort of Beverly Enterprises, the nation's largest nursing home operator, left some patients tied to beds or chairs for hours, sometimes soaked with urine or covered with feces, a labor union study said.
The union asked government officials to protect residents at 23 Beverly homes in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Among the report's findings were repeated violations at Missouri centers of standards regarding patient bedsores, incontinence and restraints.
Beverly's ``Super Quality Assurance'' program in Missouri was ``repeatedly unable . . . to prevent repeated occurrences'' of patient care deficiencies, according to the study by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, a union representing nursing home workers.
State inspection reports cite similar violations at Beverly's only nursing home in Hampton Roads, Beverly Manor of Portsmouth. The home was cited for, among other deficiencies:
Inappropriately restrained residents.
A dirty facility, including rooms with cobwebs, strong smells of urine, roaches and a sink smeared with feces.
Residents who were not bathed or showered at least twice a week.
Several residents who had acquired bed sores since entering Beverly Manor, and a lack of adequate treatment for those pressure sores.
Residents who had not seen their physicians for months at a time.
David Banks, chairman and chief executive officer of Beverly Enterprises, on Wednesday said the company's quality-assurance program has improved the care it provides its patients.
As evidence, he noted that Beverly has reached higher rates of federal compliance nationwide than the industry average for the last five years.
In addition, he said, a recent nationwide survey showed 94 percent of respondents with family members in Beverly nursing centers were satisfied or very satisfied with care and services there.
The survey of 20,000 Beverly customers was the largest of its kind in long-term care.
Most of the problems at Beverly centers, according to the union study, appear to have resulted from high staff turnover and low staffing levels.
Beverly's intensified quality-assurance program was part of 1991 settlement of charges filed against the company by the Missouri Department of Social Services.
Beverly has had problems in other states as well.
According to the report, Oregon forced Beverly to pay more than $1 million in fines after state inspectors found a pattern of substandard care following the deaths of four Beverly patients.
Beverly subsequently ceased doing business in Oregon.
In California, Beverly was rated one of the ``worst offenders'' after being fined for patient care violations.
And in Texas, state regulators repeatedly threatened Beverly with termination from the state's Medicaid program following violations of patient care standards. by CNB