CHARLOTTE, N.Y. – News10NBC is following up on an investigation into complaints against a local nursing home, Waterview Heights Nursing Center.

In a previous report, a nurse who was formerly a manager at the facility said staffing shortages put residents at risk. When News10NBC’s Deanna Dewberry attempted to visit the nursing home, she was told to leave.

According to a document from the Department of Health titled “Your Rights as a Nursing Home Resident in New York State,” a resident has the right to visits by relatives, friends, and other individuals of their choice at the time that they choose.

However, Tammy Werth, registered nurse who once worked at Waterview Heights, is concerned about more serious issues than visitation denials.

“There’s a lot of good employees that work there. The biggest problem is that they’re understaffed,” said Werth.  “On Friday [February 14^th] we only had three nurses in the entire building. Me being one of them.”

Werth referenced one weekend in which she says understaffing put residents at risk.

“My residents didn’t get any medications yesterday [Saturday, February 15^th] or today [Sunday, February 16th.]  And I know that all today there was no nurse on the unit. And there was one aid all day long,” she said.

After the initial story aired, several News10NBC viewers reached out with similar complaints. One viewer, Dan, wrote, “My 92-year-old mother was placed there Friday for rehab. Last straw was yesterday [when I] walked in at 9 a.m. [and] found her with only an adult diaper on and covered in feces.”

Another viewer, Lisa, wrote, “I have a family member at this facility. They didn’t have hot water for the first 4 days she was there, so no clean sheets, towels, etcetera. Then they didn’t have heat in some of the rooms the following week.”

News10NBC reached out to Waterview Heights for comment Wednesday on these specific complaints, but did not receive a response. However, Bruce Gendron, Regional Vice President of Waterview’s parent company, The Grand Healthcare System did say, “Department of Health closely monitors our staffing and we work every day to maintain compliance in a challenging staffing environment.”

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rates nursing homes based on factors including health inspections and staffing, with ratings from one (much below average) to five (much above average). See at the end of the story for the ratings for Monroe County compiled by Elder Justice Committee.

Five nursing homes in Monroe County recently received the top overall rating of five. They are the following in no particular order: Jewish Home of Rochester, Park Ridge Nursing Home, Aaron Manor Rehabilitation & Nursing, Edna Tina Wilson Living Center and Maplewood Nursing Home.

Six received a rating of one, the worst rating. They are the following in no particular order: Wesley Gardens, St. John’s Health Care, Rochester Community Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, The Pearl Nursing Center, Rochester Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, and Crest Manor Living Center & Rehabilitation.

Waterview Heights Rehabilitation and Nursing Center received no rating because the New York State Department of Health has designated it as a Special Focus Facility. Centers receive that designation when they have continually failed to maintain compliance standards putting residents at risk.

News10NBC reached out to the state Department of Health to determine if denying Dewberry’s visit was a violation of the department’s rules, but spokesman, Monica Pomeroy would not comment on the specifics of the case. Instead, she wrote, “Ensuring all nursing home residents receive proper care is a priority of the New York State Department of Health. The Department reviews every complaint it receives to determine if the issue is a possible regulatory violation, which includes unannounced onsite surveys as well as offsite record reviews. The Department cannot comment on any open or ongoing complaints or investigations.”       

Pomeroy wrote that in addition to the document referenced above, information about the rights of nursing home residents is available here.

“The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is an effective advocate and resource for older adults and people with disabilities who live in nursing homes, assisted living, and other licensed adult care homes. Ombudsmen help residents understand and exercise their rights to good care in an environment that promotes and protects their dignity and quality of life,” wrote Pomeroy. Learn more here. 

If you have concerns about potential violations of residents’ rights, you should file a complaint by calling 1-866-893-6772 or clicking here. You can also find out about a nursing home’s inspection reports by clicking here.

*A.I. assisted with the formatting of this story. Click here to see how WHEC News 10 uses A.I.*

Ratings of Nursing Homes for Monroe County and in Greater Rochester / Finger Lakes Counties compiled by Elder Justice Committee.