Western PA Nursing Homes Cited for Violations

August 2008

A New Jersey-based company with assisted living facilities in western Pennsylvania has been cited for numerous violations. As a result, the New Jersey Department of Public Welfare downgraded the licenses of two of the five PA nursing homes owned by Juniper Communities.

Violations at the Juniper Village branches at Forest Hills and Huntingdon Ridge included inadequate staffing, failure to conduct background checks for new employees, and lack of emergency procedures. The Department of Public Welfare downgraded the Forest Hills facility license on July 25 for the second time and on July 9 downgraded the license at the Huntingdon Ridge branch. Generally, assisted living facilities can receive four downgrades before their license is revoked by the state.

As part of Juniper's expansion plans in Florida, Pennsylvania, Colorado and New Jersey, the company bought the 78-bed Forest Hills facility last year for $8 million from O'Hara Township-based Grane Healthcare. After receiving licensing downgrades in July, each facility has changed its management teams, hired fire safety consultants, increased its staff, and improved staff training.