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Raleigh Nursing Home's Care At Issue

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RALEIGH — March 16, 1996, 11:12 a.m. ESTState regulators have recommended restricting a North Raleigh nursing home license to the provisional category. A report said the 114-bed Meadowbrook Terrace at 8200 Litchford Road has committed multiple violations, some of which could have been life-threatening. Meadowbrook's administrator declined comment; corporate officials in Clemmons could not be reached.

Among the infractions cited in the report are leaving patients with unattended bed sores, allowing unsanitary eating and living conditions, and incorrect administering of medications.

The report also chronicled the five falls within a month and subsequent broken hip of one patient, as well as the wandering away of another patient twice -- once during snow.

Jesse Goodman, who heads the state's licensing section, was quoted as saying that a provisional license, "puts the facility on notice that if they don't correct the deficiencies by the time we come back for a follow-up survey, more punitive action will follow." The follow-up is expected within three months.

State licensing officials upgraded the facility from a rest home to a nursing home two years ago. Meadowbrook has 10 days to respond to the state's allegations.

One nursing home advocate said she wasn't surprised by the findings. Marlene Chasson, executive director of Friends of Residents in Long Term Care, said she hopes the state will examine the Meadowbrook chain's other facilities.

"In view of the fact that there have been serious problems in other Meadowbrook facilities," she said, "it poses a question as to how widespread these deficiencies really are."

Nearly four years ago, a patient was almost run over after wandering away. And a 90-year-old died of a burst colon after her severe constipation went without medical attention while at Meadowbrook.

State regulators are allowed to consider only the 18 months previous to the license application, and Meadowbrook was granted a nursing home license

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