Bed sores, abuse and biohazards: What inspections reveal about care and conditions at Henrico nursing home

When state inspectors entered a Henrico County nursing home in late August, they were met with a dead cockroach upon entrance, a strong smell of urine just beyond the lobby, and flies and gnats throughout the building — indicating a pest problem that inspectors had already directed the facility to fix just a few months prior.

Inspectors would then find a woman in bed who had been “soaked in a brown halo of partially dried old urine" for several hours while surrounded by an odor of urine and feces that "permeated the room and the entire unit."

Those findings are according to reports from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) during its most recent cycle of inspections of Parham Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center.

According to Medicare records, Parham is a for-profit facility with a 1-star overall quality rating. A sign outside the building indicates an association with the Medical Facilities of America chain, and staffing levels at the nursing home are reported by Medicare to be "much below average."

In April, an inspection, also known as a survey, by VDH resulted in serious violations of care and safety standards including a failure to treat and prevent bed sores. One resident reported he got a pressure ulcer on his bottom because "they were short staffed" and did not turn or reposition him every two hours.

VDH inspectors also cited five instances of residents being allegedly assaulted by another resident who had a history of mental health issues, incarceration, and homelessness.

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