Senior care provider Genesis HealthCare, based in Kennett Square, Pa., has reached a settlement with the HHS Office for Civil Rights, resolving a complaint that the company failed to provide a qualified interpreter to one of its residents in Maryland.
The alleged incident occurred at Genesis' skilled nursing facility in Randallstown, Md. There, center staff allegedly relied on written notes and gestures to communicate with the resident throughout his stay. As a result of this alleged practice, medical evaluations of the resident's care, prescriptions and treatments were "significantly compromised," OCR Director Leon Rodriguez said in the release.
Genesis is working with OCR to implement the agreement's requirements at all Genesis facilities nationwide, which include more than 400 skilled nursing centers and assisted/senior living communities across 29 states.
The settlement also requires Genesis to implement a number of strategies to better accommodate deaf and hard-of-hearing residents, such as the establishment of a services hotline and an advisory committee to provide guidance and direction on how to best communicate with the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
Genesis would be required to pay monetary penalties for noncompliance with any terms of the agreement.
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The alleged incident occurred at Genesis' skilled nursing facility in Randallstown, Md. There, center staff allegedly relied on written notes and gestures to communicate with the resident throughout his stay. As a result of this alleged practice, medical evaluations of the resident's care, prescriptions and treatments were "significantly compromised," OCR Director Leon Rodriguez said in the release.
Genesis is working with OCR to implement the agreement's requirements at all Genesis facilities nationwide, which include more than 400 skilled nursing centers and assisted/senior living communities across 29 states.
The settlement also requires Genesis to implement a number of strategies to better accommodate deaf and hard-of-hearing residents, such as the establishment of a services hotline and an advisory committee to provide guidance and direction on how to best communicate with the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
Genesis would be required to pay monetary penalties for noncompliance with any terms of the agreement.
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