Staff errors at a South Jersey long-term care facility put residents "at an immediate and serious risk of harm," according to the New Jersey Department of Health.
Juniper Village at Williamstown must hire a "consultant director of nursing" to ensure it meets state licensing standards, according to a directive from the department.
It noted "multiple state violations' were found at the facility along Black Horse Pike during a complaint investigation and re-licensure survey Nov. 7. Another error was identified during a revisit Jan. 8.
The initial review found employees did not to ensure that medicine was administered properly and in a timely manner, "resulting in a mis-recorded insulin level," the agency said.
It also reported failures:
"As a result of these violations, all residents in the facility were at an immediate and serious risk of harm," the order said.
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The violation on Jan. 8 occurred when an employee handed medication to the wrong patient. That error occurred even though the staffer had participated in training ordered by the health department after the earlier review.
A Juniper Village representative could not be reached for comment.
The Williamstown site, which offers assisted living and memory care services, is run by Juniper Communities, a company based in Bloomfield, Essex County. It has 29 facilities in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Colorado and Texas, according to the firm's website.
The health department issued its directed plan of correction Feb. 18.
The facility must hire a full-time, on-site registered nurse to "identify areas of noncomplicance (with licensing standards" and to develop, implement and evaluate correction actions.
The consultant, who's not to have ties to the facility's ownership or management, is to start by Feb. 24.
The agency said it will receive weekly reports from Juniper Village, and that its corrective plan "shall remain in place until otherwise noted."
Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email: [email protected].