Nursing homes should provide high-quality care for residents. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always occur. Neglect, understaffing, and abuse are very real issues in facilities, and families can easily worry about the care their loved ones will receive. For those who have been victimized by abuse, a Wyoming nursing home abuse lawyer at Olson Personal Injury Lawyers can help you understand your rights and get help.
However, we also want families to better understand the quality of different care facilities. As you explore options for long-term care, knowing how nursing homes in Wyoming are rated and regulated can ensure that you make informed decisions. To help with your search, we have also identified some of the worst-ranked nursing homes in Wyoming.
Key Takeaways
Our Methodology for Choosing Wyoming’s Worst Nursing Homes
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) does not officially publish a list of the worst nursing homes. However, it offers a Five-Star Quality Rating System to help consumers and their families understand potential issues. We reviewed CMS data, including nursing home ratings, inspection reports, and documented deficiencies, to identify nursing homes with low performance indicators.
Wyoming Nursing Homes With Low Ratings and Serious Deficiencies
Many issues result from understaffing and failures to follow health and safety guidelines. Each of the facilities below experienced low ratings or other issues noted by CMS, including inspection violations. The lowest-ranked nursing homes in Wyoming include:
- Shepherd of the Valley Rehabilitation and Wellness – Casper, WY: This facility received a one-star rating as reported by CMS. Inspectors cited numerous issues, including a history of serious quality problems, such as failing to ensure regular bathing of residents. As a result, it was designated as a Special Focus Facility Candidate.
- Worland Health and Rehabilitation – Worland, WY: Another facility with a one-star rating, Worland was cited for multiple health inspection deficiencies, including infection-control violations.
- Wyoming Retirement Center – Basin, WY: Also with a one-star rating, CMS reported deficiencies at this nursing home during health inspections. Primary issues included lapses in care and infection control.
- Big Horn Rehabilitation and Care Center – Sheridan, WY: Repeated deficiencies resulted in this one-star facility being listed as a Special Focus Facility Candidate. The repeated citations indicate a failure to improve resident care and safety.
- Polaris Rehabilitation and Care Center – Cheyenne, WY: In addition to receiving a one-star rating, this facility has had ongoing compliance issues, including a failure to maintain a protocol for pharmacist reviews of medications.
- Rawlins Rehabilitation and Wellness – Rawlins, WY: Health inspection deficiencies were documented by CMS, resulting in federal fines for the facility. While it has a three-star rating now, it was also a Special Focus Facility Candidate.
- Thermopolis Rehabilitation and Wellness – Thermopolis, WY: Deficiencies were noted in health inspections and quality measures. While the facility now has a three-star rating, past inspection reports cite failures to meet care requirements.
Disclaimer: The inspection information displayed above is sourced from publicly available records. Olson Personal Injury Lawyers does not guarantee that the information on this page is complete, accurate, or up to date. For the latest information, visit Propublica or Medicare. Any deficiencies identified may have been addressed or corrected after the inspection date or before this page was published.
This page is intended for informational and advertising purposes only. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the facility named above or any government agency. Olson Personal Injury Lawyers has no affiliation with the facility discussed on this page.
Common Problems Found in Poorly Rated Nursing Homes
Low ratings and repeated deficiencies can be a clear sign that residents are not getting the care they need and deserve. For example, here are some of the most common problems found in poorly rated nursing homes:
- Understaffing: A lack of staff could result in patients experiencing falls, developing bedsores, or experiencing poor hygiene. Adequate support is needed to ensure patients get help with routine activities of daily living.
- Poor infection control protocols: If nursing homes don’t take steps to protect against infection, patients could become very sick. Many older individuals struggle to fight off illness, especially if other medical conditions have weakened their immune system. Preventing exposure is critical.
- Delayed medical treatment: Poorly trained nursing home staff or on-site medical providers who are overloaded with work may miss serious health issues in patients. This can put patients at risk of their conditions worsening when treatment is delayed.
- Medication errors: If staff members are careless or nursing homes lack appropriate protocols, mistakes can easily occur. For example, a patient could receive the wrong medication or the wrong dose of medication. This could have serious health consequences.
- Inadequate supervision: Patients who are not properly supervised are more likely to fall or become involved in other dangerous situations. This is especially true for patients with conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Olson Personal Injury Lawyers has represented many victims of nursing home abuse and neglect, recovering substantial settlements after residents suffered harm due to a wide variety of issues. Past cases involved, among other incidents, understaffing that led to pressure ulcers, patient falls due to inadequate supervision, and nursing home staff placing a patient in a broken bed.
Warning Signs Your Loved One May Be in a Neglectful Facility
It’s important to watch for signs of caregiver neglect or other forms of nursing home abuse to try to keep your loved one safe if they are in a care facility. Some warning signs of abuse or neglect to watch out for include:
- Physical issues: When you visit your loved one who lives in a nursing home, be on the lookout for things like weight loss, poor hygiene, unexplained injuries, or medical issues that are not being treated. These are potential signs of neglect or abuse.
- Emotional issues: If your loved one in a nursing home is withdrawing emotionally or experiences any sudden behavioral changes, you should investigate further to see if a problem in the nursing home could be the issue.
Nursing home inspection reports and nursing home violations are published by CMS. Online reviews also provide important information. Even after you’ve chosen a facility for your loved one, it is still important to regularly review the nursing home’s ratings and reviews.
What to Do if You Suspect Nursing Home Neglect in Wyoming
If you believe a loved one is being neglected or mistreated, you should report nursing home abuse to the relevant authorities in Wyoming, including the Wyoming Department of Health. While complaints with the Department of Health could potentially lead to investigations and citations, you may also be able to file a civil lawsuit to recover compensation.
If abuse caused harm to you or a loved one, an experienced Wyoming nursing home abuse lawyer can evaluate your potential claims and advise you on your options to recover damages.
Documenting Suspected Abuse
If you suspect abuse, a good first step is to start documenting your concerns. Documentation can help with future investigations and ultimately keep vulnerable nursing home residents safe. Important documentation can include:
- Medical records: Make sure your loved one seeks medical attention to get all injuries diagnosed and documented.
- Photo evidence: Photos can provide important proof of injuries, neglect, and abuse.
- Make notes: Keep track of details, including noting the date of any potential incidents and a description of what occurred.
- Get help: Contact appropriate state agencies to report your concerns and consider reaching out to an attorney.
Not only does this provide you with a means for preserving evidence if you need to make a claim, but your documentation also helps the authorities with their investigation.
How a Wyoming Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Can Help
Nursing home owners and operators typically face liability for nursing home abuse or caregiver neglect. However, if you want to hold the home accountable, you’ll need to build the strongest case possible. An experienced Wyoming nursing home abuse attorney can help.
At Olson Personal Injury Lawyers, our team will gather medical records and records from the nursing home. These can include logs of staff hours, which can help to prove whether nursing home abuse happened and the extent of the damage.
We’ll also identify defendants who could be responsible, including the nursing home itself, and will take steps to pursue compensation from those who failed to fulfill their responsibilities. The goal is to help you maximize the compensation available to rebuild after abuse or neglect causes harm.
Contact Our Wyoming Nursing Home Attorney For a Free Consultation
Olson Personal Injury Lawyers has helped other victims of nursing home abuse. We can help you too. We are Protecting The West, one case at a time, and we offer a Zero Fee Guarantee. Contact us online or call (307) 317-3374 to set up a free consultation with a Wyoming nursing home abuse lawyer who can help you.
