The Village At Northrise - Desert Willow I
The Village at Northrise – Desert Willow I is a short-stay skilled nursing facility in Las Cruces with higher-than-average staff levels. However, this facility has paid significant fines since 2021 and has had numerous patient care deficiencies during recent inspections. Ratings alone are inadequate predictors of nursing home abuse.
- The Village At Northrise – Desert Willow I Ratings
- Health And Safety Violations At The Village At Northrise – Desert Willow I
- Quality Of Care At The Village At Northrise – Desert Willow I
- What To Do If You Suspect Neglect Or Abuse At The Village At Northrise – Desert Willow I
- Why Choose Levin & Perconti For Your Nursing Home Abuse Case?
- Testimonials
The Village at Northrise – Desert Willow I is a for-profit 31-bed facility located at:
2884 North Roadrunner Parkway
Las Cruces, NM 88011
Phone: (575) 522-1110
This skilled nursing facility provides the following services:
- Post-hospital short-term rehabilitation
- Transitional care
- Respite care
The owner of The Village at Northrise – Desert Willow I is Genesis Healthcare, one of the largest nursing home providers in the United States. Genesis Healthcare owns hundreds of skilled nursing facilities, including 25 in New Mexico alone. The company regularly understaffs its facilities to maximize profits.
Genesis Healthcare has a long history of serious health violations and has been sued by the U.S. Justice Department for billing Medicare for grossly substandard care. Genesis agreed to pay more than $53.6 million in the 2017 settlement. In a press release, the Justice Department referred to Genesis Healthcare as an “unscrupulous provider.”
This provider’s past pattern of conduct demonstrates a willingness to sacrifice the health and well-being of nursing home residents for financial gain. If your family member has experienced abuse or neglect while residing at The Village at Northrise – Desert Willow I, a Las Cruces nursing home abuse attorney at Levin & Perconti can help you and your loved one pursue justice.
The Village at Northrise - Desert Willow I Ratings
Nursing Home Database reports a ranking of three out of seven facilities within a 25-mile radius.
Unfortunately, nursing home abuse is not exclusive to low-rated facilities. The majority of nursing home abuse is unreported.
Health and Safety Violations at The Village At Northrise - Desert Willow I
The facility’s health-inspections rating is average. The facility was inspected 20 times from 2004 to 2022 and has faced at least one lawsuit. CMS has imposed $31,250 in fines against the facility in the last three years, all of which occurred in 2021.
During the past 12 months, CMS has cited The Village at Northrise – Desert Willow I for 20 health violations, significantly exceeding the national average of 8.4.
Two complaints in the last three years have resulted in citations, and two citations occurred as a result of findings during infection control inspections. The facility has also been cited for three fire safety deficiencies and one emergency preparedness deficiency.
2022 Inspections
The annual health inspection on February 21, 2022, at The Village at Northrise – Desert Willow I uncovered several health violations that directly impacted patient care and constituted medical malpractice.
Medical Neglect
The Village at Northrise – Desert Willow I was cited for a failure to provide a care plan for the most immediate needs of new residents within 48 hours of admission. These deficiencies were also uncovered during the complaint inspection that was completed on the same date. This included patients with the following:
- CPAP machine
- Gluten allergy
- Pressure ulcer
- Foley catheter
- Solution medication
- Heart medication
The resident with the gluten allergy had to continually remind the kitchen about her allergy. In many instances, she had to call her daughter to ask her to bring her gluten-free bread since the facility was not providing it.
The dietitian told the inspector that she was unaware of the resident’s gluten allergy despite a gluten-free diet being ordered by her physician nearly three weeks prior to the interview.
Medication Errors
The annual health inspection at Village at Northrise – Desert Willow I revealed the following medication errors:
- Psychotropic medication prescribed for a misdiagnosis of dementia
- Failure to implement an antibiotic monitoring program
Neglect of Daily Needs
The Village at Northrise – Desert Willow I neglected the daily needs of residents who required assistance with activities of daily living.
The facility failed to provide reasonable assistance to residents who needed assistance showering or bathing. The inspector observed a patient with greasy hair, dry skin, and an unkempt appearance. This patient complained to inspectors that she was there for five days before receiving her first shower.
The facility also neglected to assist a patient with eating. This patient was unable to feed himself without assistance due to difficulty swallowing and dementia. The patient was a known nutrition risk due to being underweight. As a result of staff negligence, the patient was only consuming 10 to 20 percent of his meals.
Neglect of Resident Dignity and Right to Self-Determination
The inspector found that the Village at Northrise – Desert Willow I failed to respond expediently to a patient’s call light, resulting in the patient being left in soiled briefs for extended periods. The facility also failed to protect a resident’s dignity and privacy by not providing a privacy cover for the patient’s catheter.
The facility failed to ensure the right to self-determination for 14 patients by failing to complete all fields on their advance directives forms. The director of nursing acknowledged most of the residents’ forms were not properly completed. This could result in residents’ end-of-life decisions not being respected during an emergency.
The Village At Northrise – Desert Willow I also failed to respect at least one resident’s food choices. The resident complained to inspectors that she had received unappetizing food that did not match her order. The registered dietician for the facility confirmed that the food did not look appetizing.
Infection Control Deficiencies
Infection control deficiencies are serious because they can cause residents to develop serious illnesses, many of which can spread quickly between residents. The inspector found the following infection control deficiencies during the annual inspection:
- The Foley catheter bag belonging to a wheelchair-bound patient was kept on the floor, putting the resident at risk for infections.
- The facility failed to label and date food items in the kitchen after they were opened, exposing residents to the risk of foodborne illnesses.
- The facility failed to implement an infection prevention and control program that included such basic measures as hand hygiene, personal protective equipment protocols, and infection control training for staff.
- The facility failed to develop and implement flu and pneumonia vaccination programs.
- The facility failed to notify families and residents on a reliable basis when COVID-19 infections occurred in the building.
Inadequate Staff Training
In addition to failing to train staff in infection control, the facility failed to provide nursing staff with training in psychosocial disorders. All levels of nursing staff, including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and certified nursing assistants, were discovered to be lacking in this important training.
Inadequate staff training can result in abuse and neglect when staff is unaware of how to appropriately address patients with specific behavioral challenges. Lack of training in psychosocial disorders can also prevent residents from receiving the behavioral health services they need.
Poorly trained staff may misread residents and respond to them inappropriately, increasing resident frustration and impairing their quality of life. Staff may also become frustrated due to their own ineffectiveness and lash out at the residents. This deficiency was also noted on the complaint inspection.
Quality of Care at The Village At Northrise - Desert Willow I
In spite of its five-star CMS staffing rating, The Village at Northrise – Desert Willow I has had an alarming number of deficiencies.
CMS has noted the following areas of concern regarding the quality of care residents receive at The Village at Northrise – Desert Willow I:
- Increased likelihood of re-hospitalization compared with state and national averages
- Mobility improvements in just 61.5 percent of residents at The Village at Northrise – Desert Willow I compared with 74.1 percent nationwide
- Provision of medication review and follow-up of just 80.2 percent of residents compared with 91.1 percent nationwide
What to Do If You Suspect Neglect or Abuse at The Village At Northrise - Desert Willow I
If you suspect your loved one is being abused at The Village at Northrise – Desert Willow I, report this to the nursing home administrator as soon as possible. But don’t stop there. Nursing homes are required to report suspected abuse to the Division of Health Improvement (DHI), but the Division also accepts individual reports.
Reporting the abuse to DHI ensures that the facility will address it in accordance with the law. Facilities are required to investigate abuse complaints and follow up with DHI within five days. You can reach the Division of Health Improvement by calling (800) 752-8649.
You should also report suspected abuse to the Las Cruces Police Department by calling (575) 528-4200 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Nursing home abuse is illegal and warrants a criminal investigation. If your loved one is unsafe or you need to call after hours, call 911.
Finally, contact a New Mexico nursing home abuse lawyer about The Village at Northrise – Desert Willow I nursing home abuse to explore your legal options.
Why choose Levin & Perconti for your nursing home abuse case?
Levin & Perconti is one of the first law firms to take a stand against nursing homes that mistreat their vulnerable residents. With more than 30 years of experience in holding nursing homes accountable, our nationally recognized nursing home attorneys are passionate about winning maximum compensation for abused nursing home residents and their families.
Our commitment to our clients has helped us achieve unprecedented case results on their behalf, including:
- $4.1 million record-breaking verdict on behalf of an 85-year-old nursing home resident who was injured as a result of medication mismanagement
- $2.9 million record-breaking verdict on behalf of the family of a 57-year-old resident who suffocated due to negligent care of her tracheostomy tube
- $2.7 million for the estate of a 67-year-old nursing home resident who died due to complications from a fall at a nursing home
If you or your loved one has experienced maltreatment at The Village at Northrise – Desert Willow I, you may be entitled to pursue damages in a nursing home abuse lawsuit. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Testimonials
Not only were they so professional but also so caring and thoughtful. It was very difficult going over the facts in our mother's case but they were so compassionate and understanding and allowed us to be with them every step of the way. We were able to sit in on the depositions and we were really able to see how hard they worked on our behalf.
During that time, my family and I suffered the loss of my mother. Mr. Levin and Mr. Perconti were more than just our lawyers. Words can’t really express our gratitude.
They were most patient and responded timely to many questions throughout the entire process. All demonstrated professionalism and extensive knowledge of case and state laws. Their in-depth investigative work uncovered details which were unknown to us and yet sadly confirmed our suspicions. We would recommend the Levin and Perconti Law firm and especially this team.
During that time, my family and I suffered the loss of my mother. Mr. Levin and Mr. Peconti were more than just our lawyers. Words can’t really express our gratitude. My family and I will always be grateful for the compassion that they showed us. I want to thank you for what you did for my family, and for always being there for us.
Margaret’s representation, guidance, and professionalism gave us the sense that we could put our trust in Levin & Perconti and the final outcome proved that to be true.
Legally Reviewed by
Steven M. Levin
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Notable Results
VERDICT
on behalf of an 85-year-old woman injured in a nursing home when her medications were mismanaged.
VERDICT
for the estate of a 67-year-old man who died from complications related to a fall
SETTLEMENT
for a 59-year-old resident who developed multiple painful and infected bedsores which took four years to heal.
