BEVERLY HILLS, Mich. – State of Michigan safety inspections have found maggots at southeastern Michigan nursing homes, and now Local 4 has the documents.
Page after page of the report describes patient neglect at the homes. One report says an elderly patient could not breathe because she had maggots caught in her throat.
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Cambridge South Healthcare Center, on 13 Mile Road at Southfield Road in Beverly Hills, treated the elderly woman with a tracheotomy, or breathing tube, in her throat.
A report says "resident No. 101" experienced increased coughing secretions and difficulty breathing due to partial airway obstruction from an infestation of maggots in the mouth and trachea.
The report says the patient and 78 other residents at the facility were at risk for serious harm, injury or death.
The state of Michigan fined Cambridge nearly $35,000 for the incident.
A January report from the Department of Human Services says maggots were found on a patient at Sunrise Assisted Living Facility, on Hayes Road in Shelby Township.
The state report says the facility did not implement effective procedures to assure that resident received adequate care for his foot wound, where the maggots were found.
"It's very troubling when older adults whose family members are caring for them," said Jenny Jarvis, spokeswoman for the Area Agency on Aging. "They really need to be actively involved in the care. They really need to understand either visiting speak out on behalf of that older adult to make sure they're getting the care they need. That's very very important."
Sunrise sent a statement Tuesday that blamed an outside nursing provider for the patient's problems.
The state said Sunrise needed to be better, but it did not fine the facility. The state said recent inspections show Sunrise has been operating much better.
Cambridge sent Local 4 a statement that said it immediately went to work on the reported problems and has fixed them while it is operating up to state standards.
Previous story:
- October 31, 2011: Group Says Maggots Found On Michigan Senior Patients