Laurel Center
Inspection history, citations, penalties and survey trends for this long-term care facility in Hamburg, Pennsylvania.
- Location
- 125 Holly Road, Hamburg, Pennsylvania 19526
- CMS Provider Number
- 395408
- Inspections on file
- 17
- Latest survey
- January 29, 2026
- Citations (last 12 mo.)
- 2 (1 serious)
Citation history
Health deficiencies cited at Laurel Center during CMS and state inspections, most recent first.
A resident who was interviewable, had muscle weakness, and was dependent on staff for ADLs reported that during incontinence care a NA rubbed her genital area in a circular motion with multiple wipes, repeatedly asked if she liked it, and flicked his tongue while maintaining a fixed stare, causing the resident to yell at him to stop. The resident later described feeling horrified, scared, and tearful. Facility records confirmed the NA provided ADL care at the time, but the resident reported not being informed of any new protective interventions or care plan changes for several days. Documentation showed delays in updating the care plan to address potential trauma and in extending the investigation and resident/staff interviews to another unit where the NA had also worked, as acknowledged by the Administrator.
A resident who was interviewable, had muscle weakness, and depended on staff for ADLs reported that a NA performed perineal care in a sexually suggestive manner, repeatedly asking if the resident liked it while flicking his tongue and staring, which caused significant emotional distress. Although social services later spoke with the resident about the inappropriate comments, there was no timely, thorough assessment of the resident’s trauma, no prompt identification of triggers to prevent re-traumatization, and no evidence that new, person-centered, trauma-informed interventions or care plan updates were discussed with or implemented for the resident until several days after the allegation.
Surveyors observed unsanitary conditions in the kitchen, including moldy produce leaking onto other food, uncovered desserts stored in the refrigerator, slippery and soiled floors, black substances and trash beneath appliances, and fruit flies and odors near the dishwashing area. The Regional Executive Chef confirmed that food storage and preparation were not sanitary.
The facility failed to maintain dignity during dining assistance for two residents with cognitive impairments and dysphagia. Staff members were observed standing while assisting these residents with meals, contrary to promoting a dignified dining experience.
Failure to Protect Resident From Sexual Abuse and Delay in Investigation and Care Plan Updates
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to protect a resident from sexual abuse and to ensure residents were free from such abuse, resulting in an Immediate Jeopardy situation. Facility policy defined sexual abuse as non-consensual sexual contact of any type and required implementation of an abuse prohibition program, including investigation of incidents and protection of residents during investigations, with social services assigned to monitor the resident’s feelings and involvement. The resident involved had diagnoses including muscle weakness, was interviewable without cognitive impairment per the MDS, and was dependent on staff for ADLs, including personal hygiene. According to facility documentation, the resident reported that during evening incontinence care, a nurse aide cleaned her perineal area in a circular motion while asking, “Do you like that?” twice and flicking his tongue at her. The resident described that the aide folded and balled up multiple cleansing wipes and rubbed her vagina in an area she described as “the man in the boat,” in a circular motion, while repeatedly asking if she liked it and maintaining a fixed stare with continual tongue flicking. The resident stated she yelled at the aide twice not to say anything like that to her again, felt horrified, scared, singled out, and tearful, and reported that she had not previously observed any similar tongue or mouth behavior from the aide. Clinical records confirmed that the aide provided ADL care to the resident on the date of the alleged incident. The facility’s investigative and protective actions were delayed and incomplete in the period immediately following the allegation. The resident reported she was not informed of any new interventions, options for interventions, or care plan updates until seven days after the initial allegation and was not aware of any measures implemented to protect her following the allegation. Documentation showed that the resident was provided victim’s rights information by police several days after the incident, and there was no evidence that her care plan was updated to address interventions to manage potential trauma until more than a week after the allegation. Additionally, although the facility interviewed residents and conducted physical assessments on residents on the unit where the resident lived, there was no evidence that residents or staff on another unit where the aide had also worked were interviewed or assessed as part of a thorough investigation until more than a week after the alleged incident, as confirmed by the Administrator.
Removal Plan
- Resident 1 was assessed and offered emotional support.
- Resident 1's plan of care was updated.
- Resident 1 will be followed by social services for emotional support and to determine indicators of post-traumatic stress disorder.
- The facility conducted interviews with staff and residents to identify any additional residents who may have been impacted.
- The police, Area Agency on Aging, and Pennsylvania Department of Aging were notified of the allegation of sexual abuse.
- The Administrator or designee re-educated the management team on conducting a thorough investigation.
- Staff were re-educated on reporting allegations of abuse or concerns about any staff member.
- All staff will be re-educated.
- Family members of non-interviewable residents will be contacted to identify any potential concerns of sexual misconduct.
- Identified concerns will initiate an immediate thorough investigation.
- Education on what constitutes a thorough investigation included ensuring the alleged perpetrator is suspended and residents are safe, obtaining statements from all staff who may have witnessed anything related to the incident, identifying all assignments or units where the perpetrator may have worked and interviewing all applicable residents, and reviewing the Abuse Critical Element Pathway throughout the investigation.
- The Director of Nursing or designee will conduct interviews with sampled residents and family members to identify any potential allegations of sexual misconduct.
- Any identified concerns from resident or family interviews will result in an immediate thorough investigation.
- The Market Operations Advisor educated the Clinical Lead on expectations for review of completed audits.
- The Director of Nursing or designee will conduct interviews of sampled staff members to identify any potential allegations of sexual misconduct.
- Any identified concerns from staff interviews will result in an immediate thorough investigation.
- The alleged perpetrator was suspended and will remain suspended until the investigation is completed.
- The facility will follow appropriate protocol per policy and legal requirements.
- If the alleged perpetrator returns to work, he will be re-educated on the abuse policy and have random observations of resident care.
- The results of the audits will be presented at the QAPI meetings for review.
Failure to Provide Timely Trauma-Informed, Person-Centered Care After Alleged Sexual Abuse
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to assess triggers and develop and implement an individualized, person-centered plan to provide trauma-informed care for a resident following an allegation of sexual abuse. The resident had muscle weakness, was dependent on staff for ADLs including personal hygiene, and was documented as interviewable without cognitive impairment on the MDS. Facility documentation showed that the resident reported that during evening incontinence care, a nurse aide cleaned her perineal area in a circular motion while twice asking, “Do you like that?” and flicking his tongue at her. The resident described that the aide rubbed her vagina where the labia begin with balled-up cleansing wipes in a circular motion, repeatedly asked if she liked it, and maintained a fixed stare while flicking his tongue, leading her to yell at him not to say anything like that again and to think of how to call for help. The resident later reported feeling horrified, scared, singled out, and that the vision of the aide during the encounter would stay with her; she was tearful multiple times during the interview and expressed distress that her family had to read about the incident. A visitor also reported that the resident had been negatively impacted psychosocially by the alleged incident. Although the record showed that social services spoke with the resident about inappropriate comments made by a staff member, there was no evidence that the facility conducted a thorough assessment to identify the resident’s trauma related to the physical and verbal aspects of the alleged sexual abuse, or to identify triggers and prevent re-traumatization. There was also a lack of evidence that new interventions, options for additional interventions, or updates to the care plan were discussed with the resident in a timely manner, and no evidence that new, person-centered interventions for trauma-informed care were implemented until several days after the allegation.
Unsanitary Food Storage and Preparation Conditions Identified
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain sanitary conditions in the kitchen, as evidenced by multiple observations during a kitchen inspection. A black substance was present on the kitchen ceiling and vents, and the floors in the walk-in refrigerators and freezer were slippery and soiled with white, black, and red substances, as well as garbage beneath the shelves. Moldy cucumbers and raw mushrooms were found spoiled and leaking fluid onto boxes below in one refrigerator. Brownies and pudding prepared for lunch were stored in individual bowls on trays in a walk-in refrigerator without any covering. The reach-in freezer had a white substance on its bottom, and the dry storage area had slippery floors with dust and trash under the shelves. Additional unsanitary conditions included slippery floors and the presence of a black substance and trash beneath cooking appliances and the dishwasher, where fruit flies and an unpleasant odor were also noted. The Regional Executive Chef confirmed that food storage and preparation were not sanitary.
Failure to Maintain Dignity During Dining Assistance
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide assistance with dining in a manner that promoted and maintained dignity for two residents. Resident 23, who had diagnoses including Parkinson's disease, dysphagia, and anxiety, was observed on two occasions being assisted with lunch by staff members who were standing. This resident had cognitive impairment and required staff assistance with eating, as noted in the Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessment. Similarly, Resident 46, who had diagnoses including metabolic encephalopathy, dysphagia, and gastro-esophageal reflux disease, was also observed being assisted with lunch by staff members who were standing. This resident also had cognitive impairment and required assistance with eating, as indicated in their MDS assessment. These observations were made over two days and involved both registered nurses and nurse aides standing while assisting the residents with their meals.
Latest citations in Pennsylvania
A resident with dementia, psychotic disturbance, mood disturbance, and anxiety, residing on a locked unit with a wander guard, was able to leave the secured area by closely following a housekeeper through coded double doors and out a side door without being noticed. Staff did not check for residents before and after exiting the unit, and the resident left the premises, traveled into the community, and purchased food and a drink before being located by local police and returned without injury. The facility’s elopement policy required monitoring for missing residents and initiation of emergency procedures, but these measures were only implemented after the resident was discovered missing and an elopement alarm was activated.
Surveyors observed that dietary staff did not follow the facility’s personal hygiene policy requiring hair restraints, as two dietary employees worked over uncovered food on the tray line with uncovered mustaches. In the same food preparation area, equipment including a large mixer with an uncovered bowl, a Robot-coupe mixer, and a blender were stored and used beneath window frames with peeling paint, and a nearby window blind had dried food debris along its length. Another window frame above a storage rack of meal trays also had peeling paint, demonstrating unsanitary food storage and preparation conditions.
Surveyors determined that the facility failed to provide required written notices of transfers and discharges to multiple residents and/or their representatives, and did not notify the State LTC Ombudsman when residents were transferred to the hospital after changes in condition or left against medical advice. Record reviews showed repeated absence of documentation that residents or responsible parties received written information about the transfers, and that the Ombudsman was informed. The Administrator confirmed that these notifications were not sent.
The facility failed to address repeated grievances regarding slow responses to resident call bells. The grievance policy required acknowledgment and active resolution of both written and verbal complaints, yet multiple residents reported that call bells often went unanswered for more than 30 minutes. Resident council minutes over several consecutive months documented ongoing complaints about delayed call bell response, and grievance records showed multiple similar complaints over an extended period. The DON and the administrator acknowledged a pattern of complaints about slow call bell responses and confirmed that the facility had not responded to these grievances.
Surveyors found that the facility did not ensure a safe, clean, and comfortable environment on two nursing units, noting a shattered clear plastic fire extinguisher cover in a hallway between resident rooms, holes in bathroom walls, a dented and misshaped room entrance doorframe near the floor, a hole in the wall between resident beds, and dented, crumbling wallboard near a bathroom entrance. These conditions were cited under state regulations for licensee responsibility and management.
A deficiency was identified when a resident’s MDS assessment did not accurately reflect the resident’s need for corrective lenses. The resident had a history of diabetes mellitus and falls and was care planned for impaired vision with a requirement for glasses. Despite this, the MDS indicated that no corrective lenses were needed during the look-back period, while direct observation showed the resident wearing glasses, and the Administrator later confirmed the inaccuracy of the MDS documentation.
A resident with chronic kidney disease and DM was documented on the MDS as alert and frequently incontinent of urine, and the CAA indicated that urinary incontinence should be addressed in the care plan. Review of the resident’s current care plan showed no interventions related to urinary incontinence, and the DON confirmed there was no documented evidence that this identified care area was included in the plan.
A resident with chronic kidney disease, polyneuropathies, and muscle weakness, who had no cognitive impairment and required substantial staff assistance for showers and total assistance for transfers, was scheduled to receive showers twice weekly on the evening shift. Over a 30-day period, there was no documentation that showers were provided, offered, or refused, and the resident reported not having had a shower since admission. The DON confirmed the absence of documentation that shower care was offered or provided, resulting in a deficiency related to nursing services and ADL care.
Surveyors found that staff did not follow multiple physician orders for three residents. A resident with diabetes received ordered insulin even when blood glucose readings were below the ordered hold parameter. Another resident with cerebral palsy, DM, and heart failure had repeated significant overnight weight gains without evidence that the physician was notified as ordered. A third resident with anemia and CKD had ordered CBC and CMP lab tests that were not documented as completed. The DON confirmed there was no documentation that these physician orders were carried out.
Staff failed to follow facility policy and physician orders requiring documentation of non-pharmacological interventions (NPI’s) before administering PRN oxycodone for two residents. One resident with osteoarthritis, hip pain, and diabetes had orders for NPI documentation each shift and PRN oxycodone for moderate to severe pain, yet received the narcotic multiple times in a month without any recorded attempt of NPI’s beforehand. Another resident with a history of stroke, diabetes, hemiplegia, and hemiparesis also had orders to document NPI’s prior to PRN pain medication, but similarly received PRN oxycodone several times without documentation that NPI’s were tried first, resulting in noncompliance with state pharmacy and nursing service regulations.
Failure to Prevent Elopement From Secured Unit
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves a resident with unspecified dementia without behavioral disturbance, psychotic disturbance, mood disturbance, and anxiety who was admitted to the facility in November 2025 and resided on a locked, secured unit requiring a code to exit. The facility had a written "Wandering and Elopements" policy that directed staff, when a resident was missing, to initiate the elopement/missing resident emergency procedure, determine if the resident was on an authorized leave, search the building and premises if not authorized to leave, and notify administration, the resident’s representative, the attending physician, and law enforcement if the resident was not located. On the date of the incident, the resident closely followed a housekeeper through double doors on the ground floor into a back hallway and then out a side door, leaving the secured unit without authorization. The housekeeper was unaware that the resident had followed through the door, and staff failed to ensure the resident’s safety by not checking for residents before and after exiting the unit. An elopement alarm was later activated after the resident was found to be unaccounted for on the secured unit, and the facility’s established protocols were then initiated, including notification of local law enforcement. The resident was subsequently located off premises by local police, sitting in a relaxed manner, conversing appropriately with officers, holding a beverage, and with no visible injuries, and he denied pain or discomfort. Facility documentation showed that the resident had been able to travel far enough to purchase food and a drink at a restaurant, as evidenced by a receipt from a nearby McDonald’s. A progress note recorded that the resident had been noted not on the unit, an immediate search was conducted, administration and proper authorities were notified, and the resident was returned safely, with a skin check completed and the resident later observed in his room eating dinner. In an interview, the resident stated that it was taking too long to get out of the building, that he waited for an opportunity and took it, and that he wanted to leave and go back to his place. In a separate interview, the Nursing Home Administrator confirmed that staff failed to ensure the resident’s safety by not checking for residents before and after exiting the unit, leading to the elopement from the secured environment.
Unsanitary Food Storage and Staff Hygiene Practices in Dietary Department
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to store and handle food in a sanitary manner in the dietary department in accordance with its own policy and professional standards. The facility’s “Personal Hygiene” policy dated February 2, 2026, required all staff to wear hair restraints to effectively keep hair from contacting exposed food. During observation of the lunch meal service tray line on April 15, 2026, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:03 p.m., two dietary employees were observed working directly over uncovered food on the tray line with uncovered mustaches. In the same area, the window frame above the shelf where a large mixer with an uncovered bowl, a Robot-coupe mixer, and a blender were stored had peeling paint, while the Robot-coupe mixer and blender were actively being used to prepare resident food. Additionally, the blind in this window frame had dried food debris along its length, and another window frame above a storage rack of resident meal trays also had peeling paint. These conditions were cited under 42 CFR 483.60(i) Food Safety Requirements and 28 Pa. Code 201.14(a) Responsibility of licensee, and had been previously cited on March 26, 2025. No specific residents, medical histories, or clinical conditions were described in the report; the deficiency focused on environmental and staff hygiene practices in the dietary department during food preparation and tray line service.
Failure to Provide Required Written Transfer Notices and Ombudsman Notification
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors found that the facility failed to provide required written notifications of transfers and discharges to residents and/or their representatives, and failed to notify the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman for six residents who were transferred out of the facility. Clinical record review showed that one resident was transferred to the hospital after a change in condition on December 26, 2025, without documented evidence that the resident or responsible party received written information regarding the transfer or that a copy of the transfer notice was sent to the Ombudsman. Another resident was transferred to the hospital after a change in condition on January 9, 2026, with no documented evidence that the Ombudsman was notified of the transfer. Additional record reviews revealed that three more residents were transferred to the hospital after changes in condition on March 30, 2026, and March 12, 2026, without documentation that the residents and/or their responsible parties or legal representatives were provided written information regarding the transfers, or that the Ombudsman was notified. One resident left the facility against medical advice on February 3, 2026, and there was no documented evidence that the Ombudsman was notified of this transfer. In an interview on April 17, 2026, the Administrator confirmed that notifications of transfers were not sent to the residents and/or their representatives and that written notices of the transfers and discharge were not sent to the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman.
Failure to Address Repeated Grievances About Slow Call Bell Response
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to address ongoing grievances related to slow response times to resident call bells, as required by its grievance policy. The policy, last reviewed on February 24, 2026, stated that grievances could be either formal written complaints or verbal complaints to staff, and that the facility was to acknowledge and actively work toward resolution of such complaints. During a confidential resident group interview on April 14, 2026, all four participating residents reported that call bells were answered slowly, often taking more than 30 minutes. Review of resident council minutes from September 8, 2025, through December 11, 2025, showed repeated complaints about slow call bell responses at each monthly meeting, with no evidence that any resident council minutes were recorded in 2026. Additionally, review of resident grievances from October 31, 2025, through March 23, 2026, revealed multiple complaints about slow call bell responses on several dates in late 2025 and early 2026. In an interview on April 17, 2026, the DON and Nursing Home Administrator confirmed there was a pattern of complaints about slow call bell responses and that the facility had failed to respond to those grievances. These findings demonstrate that the facility did not honor residents’ rights to have grievances acknowledged and addressed, despite repeated verbal and written complaints documented through resident council minutes and the grievance process.
Damaged Walls, Doorframes, and Fire Extinguisher Cover Compromise Safe, Homelike Environment
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain a safe, clean, comfortable, and homelike environment on two of five nursing units, specifically the [NAME] and [NAME] units. During observations conducted over two days, surveyors noted that the clear plastic fire extinguisher cover in the hallway between rooms 135 and 137 was shattered. In one resident bathroom, there were holes on the left and right walls, and the doorframe at the entrance to another resident room was dented and misshaped near the floor. Additionally, there was a hole in the wall between the beds in another resident room, and the wallboard at the bottom of the wall to the right of the entrance to a bathroom in yet another room was dented and crumbling. These environmental deficiencies were directly observed in resident care areas and common hallways and were cited under 28 Pa. Code 201.14(a) regarding the responsibility of the licensee and 28 Pa. Code 201.18(e)(2.1) regarding management responsibilities.
Inaccurate MDS Documentation of Resident’s Need for Corrective Lenses
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when the facility failed to ensure that the Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessment accurately reflected a resident’s current status. Clinical record review showed that Resident 139 had diagnoses including diabetes mellitus and a history of falls, and the resident required glasses to correct impaired vision. The resident’s care plan documented a problem with impaired vision and indicated that glasses were required beginning March 8, 2022. However, the MDS assessment dated [DATE] documented in Section B (Hearing, Speech, and Vision) that the resident did not require corrective lenses during the previous seven days. On observation on April 14, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., Resident 139 was noted to be wearing glasses. In an interview on April 17, 2026, at 1:00 p.m., the Administrator confirmed that the MDS assessment for this resident was inaccurate, as it did not reflect the resident’s actual need for and use of corrective lenses during the assessment look-back period.
Failure to Include Urinary Incontinence in Comprehensive Care Plan
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to develop a comprehensive care plan that addressed an identified care area for one resident. Clinical record review showed that this resident had chronic kidney disease and diabetes mellitus, and a Minimum Data Set completed on February 20, 2026, documented that the resident was alert and frequently incontinent of urine. The Care Area Assessment summary dated the same day specified that the resident’s urinary incontinence was to be addressed in the care plan. However, review of the current care plan revealed no evidence that interventions for urinary incontinence were included. In an interview on April 17, 2026, at 10:25 a.m., the Director of Nursing confirmed that there was no documented evidence that this identified care area was addressed in the resident’s care plan.
Failure to Provide Scheduled Showers and Document ADL Care
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide and document assistance with activities of daily living, specifically showering, for one resident who was dependent on staff for this care. The resident was admitted on March 12, 2026, with diagnoses including chronic kidney disease, polyneuropathies, and muscle weakness. A Minimum Data Set assessment dated March 19, 2026, showed the resident had no cognitive impairment, required substantial staff assistance for showers, and was totally dependent on staff for transfers. Facility documentation indicated the resident was scheduled to receive showers on Wednesdays and Saturdays during the evening shift. However, the resident reported on April 14, 2026, that they had not had a shower since admission, and review of the clinical record showed no evidence that a shower had been provided, offered, or refused during the previous 30 days. The DON confirmed on April 16, 2026, that there was no documented evidence that showers were offered or provided to this resident. This deficiency was cited under 28 Pa. Code 211.12(d)(1)(5) related to nursing services.
Failure to Follow Physician Orders for Insulin, Weight Monitoring, and Lab Tests
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to implement and follow physicians’ orders for three residents. For one resident with diabetes mellitus, a physician ordered Novolog insulin to be administered in the morning prior to breakfast, with instructions to hold the insulin if the resident’s blood sugar was less than 80 mg/dL. Review of the April 2026 MAR showed that staff administered the insulin on three occasions when the resident’s blood sugar was below 80 mg/dL, contrary to the physician’s order. Another resident with cerebral palsy, diabetes mellitus, and heart failure had a physician’s order to be weighed every night shift and to notify the physician if the resident gained more than 2 lbs in 24 hours or 5 lbs in one week. Clinical records showed multiple instances of significant weight gains over 24-hour periods, including gains of 4.7 lbs, 3.4 lbs, 6 lbs, 2.3 lbs, 5.8 lbs, 4 lbs, 2.4 lbs, and 3.3 lbs, without documented evidence that the physician was notified as ordered. A third resident with anemia and chronic kidney disease had a physician’s order for two blood tests (CBC and CMP), but the clinical record contained no documentation that these lab tests were obtained. The DON confirmed there was no documented evidence that care and services were provided in accordance with these physicians’ orders.
Failure to Document Non-Pharmacological Interventions Before PRN Narcotic Administration
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to follow the facility’s pain management policy and specific physician orders requiring documentation of non-pharmacological interventions (NPI’s) and their effectiveness prior to administering as-needed narcotic pain medication for two residents. The policy, last reviewed February 24, 2026, required staff to document NPI’s and their effectiveness for patients receiving pain interventions. For a resident with left knee osteoarthritis, right hip pain, and diabetes, a physician ordered on March 17, 2026, that NPI’s be documented every shift, and on April 6, 2026, ordered oxycodone every four hours as needed for moderate to severe pain. Review of the MAR showed that this resident received as-needed oxycodone 23 times in April 2026 without documented evidence that NPI’s were attempted prior to administration. Another resident with diagnoses including cerebral infarction (stroke), diabetes, hemiplegia, and hemiparesis had a physician order dated February 7, 2026, directing staff to document NPI’s used before administering as-needed pain medication, and an order dated April 3, 2026, for oxycodone every four hours as needed for moderate to severe pain. MAR review revealed this resident received as-needed oxycodone nine times in April 2026 without documented evidence that NPI’s were attempted prior to administration, in violation of 28 Pa. Code 211.9(a)(1) Pharmacy services and 28 Pa. Code 211.12(d)(1)(5) Nursing services.
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