Average — CMS composite of the measures below.
Past the typical resurvey interval — a standard survey could occur at any time
Estimate from public CMS data, current as of July 2026. Survey timing is at the state agency's discretion.
Citation history
Health deficiencies cited at Essex Center For Rehabilitation And Healthcare during CMS and state inspections, most recent first.
The facility did not maintain a clean and homelike environment, as floors in various areas were soiled, walls in some resident rooms were scraped, and window tracks were dirty. The Housekeeping Aide Job Description required daily cleaning and reporting of maintenance issues, which was not followed, resulting in these deficiencies.
The facility failed to maintain food safety standards in the main kitchen and nourishment kitchenettes. Observations revealed uncalibrated thermometers, expired sanitizer test papers, improper dishwashing machine pressure, unlabeled bulk containers, structural issues, and soiled surfaces. Additionally, nourishment kitchenettes had soiled cabinets and floors, an unlabeled spray bottle, and a non-operational ice machine.
The facility did not inform two residents of potential financial liability for rehabilitative services during a non-covered stay, as they were not provided with the required Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage form for Medicare Part A. Additionally, one resident did not receive timely notification of the termination of Medicare Part A services. A Minimum Data Set Coordinator indicated they were directed to use the incorrect form and were unsure why the proper notice was not given.
A maintenance tool cart was left unattended in a resident area on Unit #3, containing tools like screwdrivers and a knife. The Director of Maintenance acknowledged leaving the cart unsecured when called away, despite training to store tools securely. The Administrator confirmed the expectation for staff to secure tool carts when leaving work areas.
The facility did not properly dispose of garbage and refuse, as three out of four dumpsters were observed to be uncovered with garbage inside. The issue was acknowledged by the administrator during an interview.
A resident with dementia and severely impaired cognition was found in a locked utility room, suspected to have been placed there by a terminated staff member. The facility's investigation revealed no alarms were triggered, and the resident could not have accessed the area independently. The incident involved terminated aides, and the lack of surveillance cameras prevented identifying the responsible party.
A facility failed to conduct an interdisciplinary care plan meeting for a resident with cerebral infarction and hemiplegia, resulting in the resident and family arranging discharge needs independently. Despite requests, no care plan meeting was scheduled, and the social worker admitted that a meeting should have occurred earlier.
Three residents in a LTC facility were found with inadequate hygiene and grooming care, including unkempt appearance, greasy hair, and unclean fingernails. Scheduled showers and baths were not consistently provided, and refusals were not documented. Staff interviews revealed inconsistencies in care documentation and adherence to care plans.
A resident with cognitive impairments was repeatedly observed inadequately clothed, with an exposed colostomy bag and upper body, compromising their dignity. Despite protocols to address disrobing, staff inconsistencies were noted in maintaining the resident's dignity.
The facility breached resident confidentiality by allowing staff to use a non-sanctioned texting app on personal phones to share HIPAA-protected information. This involved two residents, one with severe cognitive deficits and another with medical conditions, whose sensitive information was shared without proper security measures. Staff interviews confirmed the use of the app, despite it not being approved by the facility.
The facility failed to report an alleged sexual abuse incident involving two residents to the New York State Department of Health within the required two-hour timeframe. The incident was not reported until several days later, and the facility's policy for immediate notification was not followed. Communication breakdowns among staff and administration contributed to the delay.
Deficiency in Housekeeping and Maintenance Services
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide necessary housekeeping and maintenance services to ensure a clean, sanitary, comfortable, and homelike environment in resident units #1, #2, and #3, as well as the lobby and administrative areas. Observations revealed that floors in various areas, including the meeting room, ice machine room, Director of Nursing office, medical records office, activities room, main dining room, and several resident rooms, were soiled with dirt and cobwebs. Additionally, walls in certain resident rooms were scraped, and window tracks in others were soiled with dirt and dead insects. The Housekeeping Aide Job Description required daily cleaning of resident room floors and walls and reporting of maintenance issues, which was not adhered to, leading to the observed deficiencies.
Food Safety Deficiencies in Kitchen and Nourishment Areas
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that food was stored, prepared, distributed, and served in accordance with professional standards for food service safety. During the recertification survey, it was observed that the main kitchen and all three nourishment kitchenettes had multiple deficiencies. In the main kitchen, one of the three food temperature thermometers was not calibrated correctly, and the test papers for checking the concentration of chemical sanitizer were expired. The automatic dishwashing machine was not operating at the required water pressure, and there were issues with labeling bulk sugar and flour containers. Structural problems were noted, such as a hole in the wall and missing tiles, along with leaks from the dishwashing machine and spray hose faucet. Additionally, several kitchen items, including the can opener holder, stove/grill, utensil drawers, and various surfaces, were soiled with food particles and grime. In the unit nourishment kitchenettes, further issues were identified. The cabinets and floor in Unit 1 were soiled with food particles or dirt. In Unit 2, a spray bottle was not labeled, and in Unit 3, the ice machine was not operational, and the refrigerator, microwave oven, and floor were soiled with food particles. These observations indicate a lack of adherence to food safety standards, which could potentially compromise the safety and quality of food served to residents.
Failure to Inform Residents of Financial Liability for Non-Covered Services
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that residents and/or their designated representatives were fully informed of potential financial liability for rehabilitative services during a non-covered stay. Specifically, two residents who remained in the facility after receiving covered rehabilitative services were not provided with the required Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage form for Medicare Part A. Additionally, one resident did not receive timely notification, specifically a 2-day notification, of the termination of Medicare Part A services with the required Notice of Medicare Non-Coverage form. During an interview, a Minimum Data Set Coordinator revealed that they were directed to use the incorrect form, the Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage form for Medicare Part B, instead of the form for Medicare Part A, and were unsure why the Notice of Medicare Non-Coverage form was not provided prior to the termination of services.
Unattended Tool Cart Poses Accident Hazard
Penalty
Summary
During a recertification survey, it was observed that the environment in a nursing home was not free from accident hazards, specifically on Unit #3. A maintenance tool cart was left unattended in a resident area, containing tools such as screwdrivers and a six-inch broad fixed blade knife. This occurred in the corridor by the library. There was no documented evidence of residents accessing or using facility tools in the past six months. The maintenance staff were trained to store tools securely when leaving work areas, as documented in an undated document titled Maintenance Assistant. However, during an interview, the Director of Maintenance admitted to leaving the tool cart unattended when called away to greet a vendor, despite knowing it was inappropriate to do so. The Administrator confirmed the expectation that all maintenance staff should secure tool carts when leaving work areas.
Improper Disposal of Garbage and Refuse
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to dispose of garbage and refuse properly, as observed during a recertification survey. Specifically, three out of four garbage dumpsters were found to be uncovered, with garbage visible inside. This observation was made on November 4, 2024, at 1:21 PM. During a subsequent interview at 1:29 PM, the facility's administrator acknowledged the issue and mentioned plans to address it with the staff.
Resident Placed in Locked Utility Room by Terminated Staff
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to protect a resident's right to be free from abuse and neglect, as evidenced by an incident involving a resident with dementia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and schizoaffective disorder. The resident, who had severely impaired cognition, was found missing from a secure locked unit and later discovered in a non-patient care utility area with a coded locked door. The facility's investigation suggested that the resident could not have entered the locked area independently due to their cognitive impairments. It was suspected that a terminated employee placed the resident in the locked utility room, as the resident was found without injuries or signs of distress. The incident occurred without any door alarms being triggered, and the facility was unable to determine how the resident accessed the locked areas. The local police were involved after a news station was contacted by a Certified Nurse Aide reporting a missing person. The facility had terminated four aides on the day of the incident, and it was believed that one of them might have been responsible for placing the resident in the boiler room. However, the lack of surveillance cameras in the facility hindered the identification of the responsible party.
Failure to Conduct Interdisciplinary Care Plan Meeting
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that comprehensive care plans were reviewed and revised based on the changing needs and preferences of a resident. Specifically, for Resident #84, who was admitted with diagnoses including cerebral infarction, gastro-esophageal reflux disease, and hemiplegia following a stroke, the facility did not conduct an interdisciplinary care plan meeting. The Minimum Data Set assessment indicated that the resident had mild cognitive impairment but was usually able to understand and be understood by others. Interviews revealed that the resident and their family were independently arranging discharge needs without the facility's involvement. The family had requested a meeting with the social worker, but it had not been scheduled. The social worker acknowledged that a care plan meeting should have occurred in mid-October 2024 but was not scheduled, indicating a lapse in the facility's process for care plan reviews and updates.
Deficiency in Resident Hygiene and Grooming Care
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that residents who were unable to perform activities of daily living received the necessary services to maintain grooming and personal hygiene. This deficiency was observed in three residents during an abbreviated survey. One resident was found unkempt, wearing only a t-shirt and brief, with a wet bed pad and a dried ring of a urine-like substance. Another resident had greasy hair and unclean fingernails, while a third resident also had greasy hair, unclean fingernails, and soiled slacks. The facility's policy and procedure for activities of daily living care and support required that residents receive assistance with hygiene, including bathing, dressing, grooming, and oral care, according to their assessed needs and care plans. However, documentation revealed that scheduled showers and baths were not consistently provided, and there was no record of residents refusing care. Interviews with staff indicated that nail care was supposed to be done during showers or as needed, but this was not consistently documented or performed. Staff interviews revealed that residents were showered on a schedule, but if a resident refused, the refusal was not always documented, and care plans were not updated to reflect these refusals. The Director of Nursing noted that some residents had greasy hair, possibly due to the products used, and mentioned that alternative methods like dry shampoo were being considered. However, the lack of documentation and adherence to care plans contributed to the observed deficiencies in resident hygiene and grooming.
Resident Dignity Compromised Due to Inadequate Clothing
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure a dignified existence for a resident, as observed during an abbreviated survey. The resident, who had diagnoses including post-traumatic stress disorder, vascular dementia, and diabetes, was found inappropriately clothed on multiple occasions. Observations noted the resident with an exposed colostomy bag, upper body uncovered, and wearing only a brief while lying on their bed and walking in the hallway. The resident's care plan acknowledged a history of disrobing and directed staff to monitor and redirect such behavior. Interviews with facility staff revealed that while there were protocols in place to address the resident's disrobing, such as covering the resident and redirecting them to their room, there was inconsistency in execution. The Director of Nursing admitted to not always being aware if staff consistently redirected the resident, who could be difficult to manage due to their cognitive condition. The staff were educated to address the resident's behavior, but challenges remained in ensuring the resident's dignity was maintained consistently.
Breach of Resident Confidentiality Due to Unauthorized Texting Application
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure the confidentiality of residents' personal and medical records, violating their right to privacy. This deficiency was identified during an abbreviated survey, where it was found that staff members were using a non-sanctioned texting application on their personal cell phones to communicate Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-protected information. The facility's policy, last revised in October 2019, explicitly prohibited the use of personal electronic devices in resident areas to maintain privacy and confidentiality, yet this policy was not adhered to by the staff. The incident involved two residents, both of whom had their personal and medical information shared via text messages. One resident had severe cognitive deficits due to conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and vascular dementia, while the other was cognitively intact but had medical conditions including epilepsy and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The texts exchanged between staff members included full names of the residents and detailed sensitive information about their interactions and conditions, which were not communicated through a HIPAA-compliant service. Interviews with staff revealed that the use of the texting application was common practice, despite it not being approved by the facility. Staff members, including nurses and aides, admitted to using the application for various communications, including those involving resident care. The facility administrator acknowledged the issue, noting that the application was not sanctioned and that HIPAA training had been initiated. However, the deficiency was evident in the lack of adherence to established privacy policies and the improper handling of sensitive resident information.
Failure to Timely Report Alleged Sexual Abuse Incident
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to report an alleged incident of sexual abuse involving two residents to the New York State Department of Health within the required two-hour timeframe. The incident was alleged to have occurred on April 27, 2024, but was not reported until May 3, 2024. The facility's policy mandates immediate notification to local law enforcement and the appropriate state agency within two hours of identifying an allegation. However, the report was delayed, and the facility did not adhere to its own procedures. Interviews revealed that a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) received second-hand information about the incident and did not immediately report it to the facility's administration. The Director of Nursing (DON) was unaware of the incident until much later, and the Administrator was informed of the situation through indirect communication. The Administrator attempted to gather more information but was not fully aware of the details until several days later. The facility's regional team advised that the incident did not meet the criteria for reporting due to a lack of eyewitnesses, which contributed to the delay in reporting.
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What surveyors actually found near you
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Resident with a documented fall history left unattended on the patio; found on the ground with a hip fracture.
Walk-in cooler logs missing for 12 days; expired supplements in the medication room fridge.
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Nursing homes near Elizabethtown
How nearby facilities compare on the same public inspection record.
| Facility | Distance | Overall rating | Citations, 12 mo | Serious (J–L) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elderwood Of Uihlein At Lake Placid | 19.3 mi | ★★★★★ | 0 | 0 |
| Wake Robin-linden Nursing Home | 19.8 mi | ★★★★★ | 1 | 0 |
| Helen Porter Healthcare & Rehab | 25.8 mi | ★★★★★ | 5 | 0 |
| Elderwood At Burlington | 26.3 mi | ★★★★★ | 15 | 0 |
| Elderwood At Ticonderoga | 26.5 mi | ★★★★★ | 2 | 0 |
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Trusted data, never guesswork. Every citation, penalty, rating and Plan of Correction on this page is sourced from public CMS records (latest release July 2026) and official state health department websites.