While temperatures outside having been rising, temperatures inside one wing of Falling Spring Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Chambersburg approached 90 degrees. And it’s a problem some say has plagued the Franklin County nursing home for years.
According to PublicOpinionOnline.com, one day a wall thermometer in a patient’s room showed a temperature of 86 degrees around 8:30 PM. One visitor said she has seen staff member coming out of patient rooms soaking and sweating. She is quoted in the article as saying, “That’s a dangerous situation they are putting residents in. There are many members of that facility who do not have a voice.”
The county says it reacted quickly to cool the wing. A window air conditioner was installed in one patient’s room while aides cooled another patient using cool wash clothes.
The Area Agency on Aging in Franklin County has said that they are aware of the situation and that they are working with the county to help the affected residents.
One day, temperatures ranged from 72 to 88 degrees, with the rooms at the end of the wing being the hottest.
Franklin County Commissioner David Keller said airflow had been restricted to the air conditioning unit for the wing. But maintenance staff widened the air vent to bring cooler air into the system. Keller said, “It illustrates in general that climate control on that end of the building historically has been challenging because of the amount of direct sunlight that end of the building gets.”
We applaud the efforts of the outspoken family members who brought this situation to light. Although we are sure the Falling Springs administration is doing their best to remedy this unfortunate situation, it is a lesson to us all that we should pay attention to the surroundings when we are visiting friends and loved ones in a nursing home. If things don’t seem quite right, it’s always a good practice to bring them to the attention of the staff and administration. But if you still feel as if your loved one is not getting the care they deserve, it’s best to consult an attorney. The law office of O’Connor Law deals with cases involving nursing home neglect. Contact us for a free review of your case.