Ten nursing homes operated by Life Care Centers of America failed to follow proper infection control protocols amid the pandemic, according to CMS inspection reports obtained by The Washington Post.
The publication reviewed reports for 26 facilities run by Cleveland, Tenn.-based Life Care, one of the largest nursing home operators in the U.S. Sixteen nursing homes that underwent federal inspections in April and May had no deficiencies. However, inspectors found serious infection control issues at 10 other facilities, including failure to disinfect equipment, wear proper personal protective equipment or keep sick patients isolated.
These findings come after CMS fined Life Care more than $611,000 for deficiencies tied to at least 37 COVID-19 deaths at its facility in Kirkland, Wash. In total, more than 2,000 cases and 250 deaths have occurred at Life Care nursing homes nationwide since the Kirkland outbreak was identified in late February, according to data from the Post.
Tim Killian, public information liaison for Life Care, declined to comment on details in the inspection reports.
"Choosing a handful of reports, especially during this time of great difficulty, has allowed the press to paint a picture of our company that does not accurately reflect our values or the hard work we do every day to take care of our residents and staff," he told the Post.
Life Care President Beecher Hunter told the publication that the affected nursing homes had submitted plans of correction to CMS, which include additional training for employees.
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