Care violations found at 2 Collier County nursing homes

WINK News continues our coverage of violations in nursing homes with two facilities in Collier County.

Heritage Health Rehabilitation Center was under fire for allowing patients to give themselves medication without documentation.

A report from the state says Bentley Care Center in Naples gave CPR to someone who had a do not resuscitate form, also known as a DNR.

WINK News has already reported on a nursing home in Cape Coral that failed to prevent ulcers. The state says that the facility is now in full compliance.

The Collier County nursing homes could face consequences if they don’t take corrective action. The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration will get involved if that happens.

Is not having enough people a good enough reason for nursing home staff not to follow the end-of-life wishes of its patients?

Patient advocate Mary Daniel said it’s not a simple yes or no question.

Daniel made national headlines during the pandemic when she got a job in a nursing home so she could be close to her husband. “It’s very hard to say that you want your loved one to die, but you want their wishes to be followed, and you want their suffering to end.”

A 12-page report details how Bentley Care Center in Naples “Failed to honor documented advance directives and administered CPR” because there was a missing do not resuscitate form.

The state investigated, and an employee confirmed the facility “Failed to pull over… From the closed record” when the patient was readmitted.

“I truly, I do not believe that it is an intentional harm that they’re trying to do on these residents. It’s just a matter of being overwhelmed, not having enough staff, and just not enough time in the day to do it the right way,” said Daniel.

In a statement to WINK News, Vi, the company that owns the Bentley Care Center in Naples, said:

The care and well-being of our Bentley Village residents has been our highest priority for more than 30 years. Following an isolated incident at our Community’s skilled nursing facility (Bentley Care Center), we alerted the Agency for Health Care Administration (“AHCA”), Florida’s healthcare licensing authority, and have worked with them transparently and fully to develop a plan of correction, including supplemental education for our team members. AHCA approved our plan, which was implemented immediately. We are confident in our action plan for the way forward and will continue to provide quality care to our residents. 

Daniel’s experience working in a nursing home opened her eyes to how most facilities must improve protocols.

A lack of protocols, a separate state investigation shows, led to staff at Heritage Healthcare and Rehab Center giving four residents access to “Unsecured medications at the bedside” before accessing their “Ability to safely self-administer.”

Daniels hopes publicizing these issues will encourage families of nursing home patients and residents to ask questions.

“We are the only ones that can go in and really protect our loved ones. We’re the eyes and the ears inside that facility to see what’s happening, to know whether it’s right or wrong,” Daniels said.

WINK News has reached out to the Heritage Healthcare and Rehab Center for comment but has not heard back.