7 Youngstown area nursing homes cited for abuse, according to Medicare. Here’s how to report |

Which are the best and worst rated nursing homes? We’ve rounded them up.

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The Youngstown area has nearly 70 nursing homes within a 25-mile radius.

One major source you can use to weed out the worst facilities from the best is Medicare. Government officials routinely inspect local nursing homes, whether its to investigate a complaint or confirm the facility complies with U.S. standards.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid services evaluates Ohio nursing homes and rated each based on health inspections, staffing and quality measures like the number of residents in pain or up to date on flu shots.

Here’s a breakdown of the rating criteria:

Health inspections such as compliance with medicare and medicaid regulations, internal and external complaints, infection control and prevention standards.
The staffing levels, staff turnover, hours worked and hours spent with residents each day.
Quality measures such as flu shots or other vaccinations per care-term, surgery recovery rates and overall performance of nursing home.

Health inspections such as compliance with medicare and medicaid regulations, internal and external complaints, infection control and prevention standards.
The staffing levels, staff turnover, hours worked and hours spent with residents each day.
Quality measures such as flu shots or other vaccinations per care-term, surgery recovery rates and overall performance of nursing home.

You can search the database by location or search for specific facilities by name. In addition to viewing the most recent inspections and nursing home rankings, Medicare identifies every nursing home cited for abuse.

Of the 68 local nursing homes evaluated, seven were cited for abuse. “Abuse is defined as the willful infliction of injury, unreasonable confinement, intimidation, or punishment with resulting physical harm, pain or mental anguish,” according to Medicare.

Here are seven nursing home facilities within 25 miles of Youngstown, Ohio, that were cited for abuse.

Ivy Woods Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center

9625 Market St., North Lima

Overall rating: “Much below average,” 1 star out of 5
Federal fines in the last three years:

$25,650 on Jan. 23, 2023
$42,907 on May 11, 2021
$3,465 on March 8, 2021

Payment denials by Medicare in the last three years: 2, Jan. 23, 2023 and May 11, 2021.
Total number of health citations in most recent inspection: 10 on Oct. 6, 2022, including failing to provide adequate assistance for a resident’s showers and failing to provide a sippy cup for a resident with physical and mental disabilities, causing the patient to pour and drink milk out of a bowl.
Number of complaints in the past three years that resulted in a citation: 10, including a citation on Jan. 23, 2023 after one resident slammed another resident’s head into a wall, causing a half-inch laceration to the eyebrow.
Number of times in the past three years a facility-reported issue resulted in a citation: two, a citation was issued March 6, 2023 after a February incident reported by a nursing assistant. A resident punched his roommate in the face.

Greenbriar Center

8064 South Ave., Boardman

Overall rating: “Much below average,” 1 star out of 5
Federal fines in the last three years:

$22,584 on July 17, 2023
$10,059 on Oct. 11, 2022
$45,755 on March 23, 2022
$28,210 on Feb. 10, 2022

Payment denials by Medicare in the last three years: 0
Total number of health citations in most recent inspection: 18 on Feb. 10, 2022, including failing to inform resident’s ombudsman when resident was sent to a hospital and a nurse aid witnessed hand feeding a resident without wearing gloves.
Number of complaints in the past three years that resulted in a citation: 12, including a citation on July 17, 2023 for failing to provide enough food for a resident.
Number of times in the past three years a facility-reported issue resulted in a citation: 0

Park Vista Nursing & Rehab by McAre Health

1216 5th Ave., Youngstown

Overall rating: “Much below average,” 1 star out of 5
Federal fines in the last three years:

$11,625 on Jan. 3, 2023
$8,109 on Oct. 3, 2022
$22,386 on Feb. 15, 2022
$2,948 on June 21, 2021
$2,600 on June 14, 2021
$2,275 on May 17, 2021
$117,283 on Jan. 19, 2021
$6,500 on Nov. 11, 2020

Payment denials by Medicare in the last three years: two, Oct. 3, 2022 and Jan. 19, 2021.
Total number of health citations in most recent inspection: 51 on June 15, 2022, including failing to provide timely incontinence care.
Number of complaints in the past three years that resulted in a citation: 73, including a citation on April 11, 2023 for verbal and emotional abuse of resident by a nursing aid.
Number of times in the past three years a facility-reported issue resulted in a citation: 0
Number of citations from infection control inspections in the past three years: 15, including a citation on Sept. 28, 2023 for failing to dress a wound daily.

Park Center Healthcare and Rehabilitation

5665 South Ave., Youngstown

Overall rating: “Much below average,” 1 star out of 5
Federal fines in the last three years:

$975 on Jan. 3, 2022
$650 on Dec. 27, 2021
$86,415 on Oct. 21, 2021
$66,729 on May 18, 2021

Payment denials by Medicare in the last three years: 2, Oct. 1, 2021 and May 18, 2021.
Total number of health citations in most recent inspection: 19 on July 26, 2023
Number of complaints in the past three years that resulted in a citation: 22, including failing to document in medical record that patient got stuck in a stairwell and failing to ensure residents were free from physical abuse by a staff member. An LPN pushed a resident’s head in the wall and physically restrained her with hands on her throat.
Number of times in the past three years a facility-reported issue resulted in a citation: 1
Number of citations from infection control inspections in the past three years: 0

Quality Life Services - Mercer

8221 Lamor Road, Mercer, Pennsylvania

Overall rating: “Below average,” 2 stars out of 5
Federal fines in the last three years: $7,443 on April 5, 2023.
Payment denials by Medicare in the last three years: 0
Total number of health citations in most recent inspection: 51 on June 15, 2022, including failing to provide timely incontinence care.
Number of complaints in the past three years that resulted in a citation: 73, including a citation on April 11, 2023 for verbal and emotional abuse of resident by a nursing aid.
Number of times in the past three years a facility-reported issue resulted in a citation: 0
Number of citations from infection control inspections in the past three years: 15, including a citation on Sept. 28, 2023 for failing to dress a wound daily.

Concord Care Center of Cortland

4520 Sodom Hutchings Road, Cortland, Ohio

Overall rating: “Below average,” 2 stars out of 5
Federal fines in the last three years:

$13,000 on Dec. 29, 2021
$3,250 on Oct. 12, 2021
$11,989 on May 28, 2021

Payment denials by Medicare in the last three years: 0
Total number of health citations in most recent inspection: 6 on Nov. 14, 2022.
Number of complaints in the past three years that resulted in a citation: 2, including denying and stealing a patient’s narcotics.
Number of times in the past three years a facility-reported issue resulted in a citation: 0
Number of citations from infection control inspections in the past three years: 0

Canfield Healthcare Center

2958 Canfield Road, Youngstown

Overall rating: “Below average,” 2 stars out of 5
Federal fines in the last three years:

$52,540 on Sept. 29, 2023
$24,921 on Jan. 19, 2023
$19,500 on Sept. 16, 2021

Payment denials by Medicare in the last three years: 1 on Sept. 16, 2021
Total number of health citations in most recent inspection: 22 on Sept. 29, 2023.
Number of complaints in the past three years that resulted in a citation: 19, including failing to ensure a staff member did not verbally abuse patients.
Number of times in the past three years a facility-reported issue resulted in a citation: 1
Number of citations from infection control inspections in the past three years: 0

For more information about local long-term facilities, visit Medicare or the Ohio Long-Term Care Consumer Guide online.

Residents of long-term care facilities have rights that are guaranteed by state or federal laws.

Ohio’s requirements for nursing homes

Ohio’s revised code for nursing homes lists 36 rights of residents, including:

The right to have sufficient staff to meet your needs on all days and all shifts
The right to receive reasonable notice before changing your room or your roommate
The right to close your door and knock before entering except in case of emergency
The right to have all reasonable requests and inquiries responded to promptly
The right to further education at patient’s expense
To choose your attending physician and pharmacist
The right to consume a reasonable amount of alcohol or use tobacco at patient’s expense unless documented in records to be medically inadvisable
To receive, send and mail unopened correspondence
Private visits at any reasonable hour
Access to a telephone for private communication
The right to share a room with a spouse, if both are residents and/or to have private time with a spouse
The right to confidential treatment of personal and medical records
The right to a safe and clean living environment
To have clothes and bed sheets changed as the need arises
The right to be treated at all times with courtesy, respect, and full recognition of dignity and individuality

According to the state’s long-term care consumer guide, a long-term care ombudsman can help if you feel your rights to quality care and respect have been violated.

Call the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman at 1-800-282-1206, or find a regional ombudsman program in your community.

To register a complaint, call 1-800-342-0553 or contact the home health hotline at 1-800-669-3534.

Mona Moore

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Aaron Moody is a sports and general reporter for the News & Observer. Here is a second sentence for the bio because it will probably be longer than this. Maybe even longer I don't know. Support my work with a digital subscription

This story was originally published February 19, 2024 at 4:00 AM