Above average — CMS composite of the measures below.
The next survey window likely opens around March 2027
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 Gino J Merli Veterans Center during CMS and state inspections, most recent first.
Surveyors found that a corridor door to a resident room on one floor failed to latch into the frame when tested, meaning it did not meet NFPA 101 requirements for positive latching of corridor doors. The Facilities Manager and Facility Life Safety staff confirmed during interview that this corridor door did not latch properly.
The facility failed to fully screen four of five newly hired employees, including LPNs and nurse aides, to determine eligibility for employment. Personnel files showed applications listing prior employers, but there was no documentation that former employers were contacted, and the DON could not provide evidence that past work history was verified for these staff members.
A resident with Parkinson’s disease and moderate cognitive impairment had lower dentures go missing during care. Staff searched the room, wheelchair, clean utility room, and outside laundry service, but the dentures were not found. Although the care plan addressed denture use and listed several behaviors, it did not include individualized interventions for the resident’s habit of placing personal items in tissues or food containers, and there was no evidence the IDT reviewed or revised the care plan after the investigation; the DON confirmed it had not been updated.
A resident with CHF, B12 deficiency anemia, and severe cognitive impairment had a significant weight loss that was identified by the facility, but the RD did not complete the nutrition evaluation and document interventions until 7 days later. The resident's record showed a 13.6-lb loss in 1 month, with additional losses over 90 days and 6 months, and the RD noted variable meal intake, congestion, and lethargy. The DON and RD confirmed the findings and could not explain the delay in addressing the weight loss.
Two residents received duplicate antipsychotic therapy without documented clinical justification, and gradual dose reductions were not attempted as required. One resident with schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease was prescribed both Seroquel and Haldol without individualized rationale, while another resident with dementia and on hospice care received escalating doses of Seroquel and Haldol for behavioral symptoms without evidence of psychosis or trial of nonpharmacological interventions. The facility lacked documentation supporting the necessity of these regimens, and the DON confirmed the absence of required physician documentation.
A resident with a history of falls and lower limb amputation was not properly assessed or provided with individualized safety measures upon return from a hospital stay. Staff transferred the resident from a personal wheelchair with leg rests to a weight chair lacking safety features, and did not use the ADA-compliant wheelchair scale as intended. During the weighing process, the resident fell, sustaining multiple abrasions and a cervical spine fracture, due to the facility's failure to reassess fall risk, use appropriate equipment, and supervise the procedure safely.
The facility failed to include discharge planning in the care plans for four residents. Despite MDS assessments indicating their discharge goals, the care plans did not reflect these intentions. The Director of Nursing confirmed the absence of discharge planning for these residents.
Failure of Corridor Door to Latch Properly
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified a deficiency involving a corridor door that did not meet NFPA 101 requirements for positive latching. During observation on the second floor B-Hall, the door to Resident Room 209 was tested and found to fail to latch into the door frame. This condition was noted as a failure to maintain a corridor opening in accordance with the requirement that corridor doors resist the passage of smoke and have positive latching hardware. The issue was observed on one of four floors in the building and specifically involved the corridor door to a resident room. At the time of the survey, the door did not properly engage with the frame when tested, meaning it did not latch as required. During the exit interview, the Facilities Manager and Facility Life Safety staff confirmed that the corridor door to Resident Room 209 failed to latch.
Plan Of Correction
Room 209 door was immediately adjusted to insure proper closure. Resident room doors were inspected and adjusted. Random audits of resident room door closure will be conducted on 5 doors on each nursing unit weekly for 8 weeks. Corridor doors will be inspected semi-annually for proper closure. Any doors found to be not closing properly are adjusted or replaced.
Failure to Verify Prior Employment for Newly Hired Staff
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to fully screen four of five newly hired employees to determine whether they were eligible for employment in a long term care nursing facility. The report states that the facility’s abuse prohibition policy required screening potential employees, including obtaining references from previous and current employers, and that regulatory requirements call for review of employment history, contact with former employers, and documentation of licensure status and disciplinary actions from licensing or registration boards and other registries. A review of personnel files showed that Employee 1, an LPN hired on March 16, 2026; Employee 2, a nurse aide hired on March 16, 2026; Employee 3, an LPN hired on March 30, 2026; and Employee 4, a nurse aide hired on March 30, 2026, all had employment applications listing previous employers, but there was no documentation that the facility contacted any former employer to screen them. During an interview on April 9, 2026, at 1:15 PM, the DON was unable to provide evidence that prior employers were contacted to verify past work history for four of five newly hired employees.
Care Plan Not Revised After Denture Loss Investigation
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that Resident 25’s comprehensive care plan was reviewed and revised to reflect current needs and services after staff identified that the resident’s lower dentures were missing during care. Resident 25 was admitted with Parkinson’s disease and had a quarterly MDS showing moderate cognitive impairment with a BIMS score of 9 and verbal behavioral symptoms directed toward others during the look-back period. Facility investigative documentation dated January 13, 2026, stated that nursing and social services searched the resident’s room and wheelchair, checked the clean utility room, and contacted the outside laundry service, but the dentures were not found. The investigative documentation also noted that Resident 25 had a history of placing personal items in tissues and discarding them, and placing items on the lunch tray and in food containers such as cereal or milk cartons. The resident’s care plan included an ADL focus area documenting that the resident was edentulous and used upper and lower dentures, with interventions for removing dentures in the evening, applying them in the morning, and cleansing and storing them according to preference. The behavior care plan listed behaviors such as poor impulse control, throwing objects, activating alarms, kicking staff, grabbing staff hands, attempting to strike staff, and interfering with care, but it did not include individualized interventions for the documented behavior related to placing personal items in tissues or food containers. The record contained no evidence that the interdisciplinary team reviewed or revised the care plan after the denture-loss investigation, and the DON confirmed the care plan had not been revised to address that behavior.
Delayed response to significant weight loss and inconsistent weight monitoring
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to monitor resident weights consistently and accurately to timely identify changes in nutritional parameters and implement nutritional interventions for one resident. The facility policy stated monthly weights were to be obtained during the first 5 business days of the month, residents with significant weight changes were to be re-weighed the same day for verification, and the RD was to document significant monthly weight changes, update care plans, and convey significant changes to the provider. Resident 63 was admitted with chronic heart failure, vitamin B12 deficiency anemia, and adjustment disorder with depressed mood, and the annual MDS dated February 4, 2026 documented severe cognitive impairment with a BIMS score of 6 and a weight of 173 pounds. The MDS also documented significant weight loss of 5% or more in one month or 10% or more in six months that was not physician prescribed. The resident's weight record showed 186.4 pounds on January 3, 2026 and 172.8 pounds on February 3, 2026, a 13.6-pound loss, or 7.3%, in one month. The RD's comprehensive nutrition evaluation completed on February 10, 2026, seven days after the significant weight loss was identified, documented the resident had lost 13.6 pounds in 30 days, 15.2 pounds in 90 days, and 20.8 pounds in six months. The RD noted variable meal intake ranging from 0% to 100%, slight congestion, and increased lethargy, and recommended liberalizing the diet, discontinuing the consistent carbohydrate diet, starting Boost Glucose Control twice daily, and implementing weekly weights. During interviews, the Food Service Director/RD and the DON confirmed the findings and the DON could not explain the seven-day delay in implementing nutritional interventions after the significant weight loss was identified.
Failure to Ensure Drug Regimens Free from Unnecessary Antipsychotic Medications
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that residents' drug regimens were free from unnecessary medications by administering duplicate antipsychotic therapy without documented clinical justification and by not attempting gradual dose reductions (GDR) where appropriate. For one resident with schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease, the clinical record showed concurrent prescriptions for two antipsychotic medications, Seroquel and Haldol, in addition to other psychoactive drugs. The antipsychotic medication review indicated that dose reduction was contraindicated, but there was no resident-specific documentation or individualized clinical rationale to support this assertion. The facility was unable to provide evidence that the physician had documented a justification for continued antipsychotic use at current dosages or for the necessity of prescribing both antipsychotics concurrently, and no GDR had been attempted. Another resident with Alzheimer's disease, anxiety, and on hospice care was prescribed Seroquel for dementia and later Haldol for behavioral symptoms. The clinical record documented persistent behavioral symptoms and repeated increases in antipsychotic dosages, resulting in duplicate antipsychotic therapy. Despite these medication changes, there was no evidence of hallucinations, delusions, or other psychotic symptoms that would warrant antipsychotic use. The record also lacked documentation of nonpharmacological interventions being attempted or considered prior to initiating or escalating pharmacologic treatment. Observations revealed extrapyramidal symptoms, but there was no evidence that the medication regimen was reassessed in response. Interviews with the DON confirmed the absence of physician documentation supporting the clinical need for duplicate antipsychotic therapy or repeated dosage increases for both residents. The facility's actions did not align with its own policy requiring ongoing evaluation and documentation of psychotropic medication use, including the use of nonpharmacological interventions and individualized clinical rationales for medication decisions.
Failure to Assess and Implement Fall Prevention Measures During Weighing Procedure
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when the facility failed to adequately assess and implement safety measures for a resident identified as at risk for falls, resulting in actual harm. The resident, who had chronic kidney disease, was dependent on renal dialysis, and had an acquired absence of the right leg below the knee, returned from a hospital stay with instructions indicating an increased risk for falls. Upon readmission, there was no documented evidence that the facility performed a comprehensive assessment of the resident’s care needs, including fall risk or the need to update the care plan, despite facility policy requiring such assessments upon readmission. On the day of the incident, staff transferred the resident from his personal wheelchair, which had leg rests, into a facility weight chair that lacked leg rests or other individualized safety features. The weighing procedure was not conducted using the ADA-compliant wheelchair platform scale as intended, which would have allowed the resident to remain in his own wheelchair with proper supports. During the transfer and weighing process, the resident leaned forward and fell from the weight chair, sustaining multiple abrasions and a cervical spine fracture. Staff interviews confirmed that safety devices were not transferred to the weight chair and that the facility did not routinely use individualized safety equipment during weighing procedures. Post-incident documentation and interviews revealed that the resident experienced significant pain and required further medical evaluation, which confirmed a cervical spine fracture. The facility’s failure to reassess the resident after a significant change in condition, ensure the use of appropriate assistive equipment, and supervise the weighing procedure according to safe practices and the intended use of the scale directly resulted in the resident’s fall and injury.
Failure to Include Discharge Planning in Care Plans
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to include discharge planning in the comprehensive care plans for four residents, as identified during a clinical record review and staff interview. Resident 6, admitted with Parkinson's disease, diabetes, and a right leg amputation, had a quarterly MDS assessment indicating the resident's goal to remain in the facility. However, the care plan did not address this discharge plan. Similarly, Resident 150, with atherosclerotic heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also had a care plan lacking a discharge plan, despite the MDS indicating the resident's intention to stay long-term. Resident 11, diagnosed with neurocognitive disorder with Lewy bodies, Parkinson's disease, and schizophrenia, expressed a goal to be discharged to the community, but this was not reflected in the care plan. Resident 107, with bipolar disorder and atherosclerotic heart disease, also had a care plan that failed to include a discharge plan for long-term placement, despite the MDS indicating the resident's intention to remain in the facility. The Director of Nursing confirmed the absence of discharge planning in the care plans for these residents.
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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 Scranton
How nearby facilities compare on the same public inspection record.
| Facility | Distance | Overall rating | Citations, 12 mo | Serious (J–L) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Embassy Of Scranton | 0.5 mi | ★★★★★ | 24 | 1 |
| Elan Skilled Nursing And Rehab, A Jewish Senior Li | 0.7 mi | ★★★★★ | 14 | 1 |
| Linwood Nursing And Rehabilitation Center | 1.4 mi | ★★★★★ | 18 | 0 |
| Green Ridge Care Center | 1.9 mi | ★★★★★ | 3 | 0 |
| Dunmore Health Care Center | 1.9 mi | ★★★★★ | 6 | 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.