A long-term care facility in Millcreek Township was cited twice by the Pennsylvania Department of Health after a patient suffered a broken hip, torn wrist ligaments and went into shock when a nursing assistant tried to lift the patient from his bed.
The resident has been hospitalized for 10 days.
Greenfield Healthcare and Rehabilitation (1521 W. 54th St.) was penalized for failure to protect patients from abuse and neglect and to protect them from accident hazards.
“I was lifted up and fell out of the elevator,” the resident told state health inspectors. “I fell hard to the floor and was badly scratched on the back of my head.”
The incident occurred on Sept. 29, but the ticket was issued after a Jan. 27 inspection, the results of which the state health department posted on its website in early March.
Greenfield Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center (1521 W. 54th St.) abandoned a resident, leaving them in shock and suffering a broken hip, the Pennsylvania Department of Health said. In 2026, 19 citations were issued to the Town of Millcreek long-term care facility.
It’s the latest in a series of incidents in Greenfield that have resulted in citations being issued by the state health department. It received 19 citations in January and six more in November and December.
The facility has not been fined or had its license status changed, according to the state health department website.
Previous violations include residents lying in their own urine
Citations from last year’s report include:
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Repeatedly there are not enough nurses or nursing assistants to work.
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One resident’s bedside commode was not emptied for more than 13 hours, even though it was full and the toilet seat had fallen to the floor.
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Despite ringing the call bell for more than an hour, the resident remained in bed, soaked in his own urine.
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The institution’s no-smoking policy for patients on oxygen is not vigorously enforced.
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The resident failed to take pain medication promptly.
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Patient caregivers wear earplugs while working or talking on the phone.
Greenfield Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center (1521 W. 54th St.) abandoned a resident, leaving them in shock and suffering a broken hip, the Pennsylvania Department of Health said.
Greenfield officials made multiple calls seeking comment on the tickets but did not receive a response.
The facility was believed to be involved in a patient’s fall because only one nursing assistant used a mechanical lift to attempt to transfer the patient from a bed to a wheelchair. State health regulations require two people to provide assistance when a resident is unable to help themselves.
According to the inspection report, the employee involved was disciplined and the worker was “re-educated” on the proper use of the Hoyer elevator, accompanied by two assistants.
Many violations are due to insufficient staffing
Greenfield officials did not explain in the report why only one staff member attempted to lift the resident, but many of the 19 citations issued in January were due to a lack of staffing at the facility.
Many, but not all, long-term care facilities in Erie County and across Pennsylvania are struggling to meet the latest staffing levels for nurses and nursing assistants.
Beginning in July 2024, facilities must provide at least 3.2 hours of direct daily care to each resident. There is now one nursing assistant for every 10 residents during the day, one for every 11 residents at night, and one for every 15 residents at night.
The minimum standards for qualifying as a nurse practitioner are: one nurse practitioner for every 25 residents during the day, one nurse practitioner for every 30 residents at night, and one nurse practitioner for every 40 residents at night. Additionally, at least one registered nurse is required for every 250 residents.
Tips for choosing a long-term care facility
If your parent or spouse will be moving into a long-term care facility, the Pennsylvania Department of Aging’s long-term care ombudsman offers some tips for choosing a facility:
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View public information such as health inspection reports and reviews.
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Talk to people in the community about their experiences using the facility.
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If possible, be sure to make a site visit and see the location in person.
To contact your local ombudsman, call (814) 459-4581 extension 11. 593 or email ombudsman@gecac.org.
Contact David Bruce at dbruce@timesnews.com or 814-870-1736.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared in Erie Times News: Pennsylvania health department cites Mill Creek nursing home after patient falls
