Pines Nursing Rehab: Phone System Broken Year - MD
The problem came to light during a federal inspection in September after multiple complaints from family members who couldn't reach facility staff. One representative for Resident #129 complained in April that the Director of Nursing's voicemail was full and wouldn't accept messages. When transferred to the Social Worker, that voicemail was also full.
"I have asked for a return call which I have not received at this time," the family member wrote in the complaint dated April 12.
Another family member told inspectors during a phone interview that they'd been unable to reach the Nursing Home Administrator to discuss missing clothing, missed medication administration, and a missed meal for Resident #122. The administrator's voicemail was full and wouldn't accept messages.
When inspectors asked the administrator about phone system problems on September 3, she confirmed the issue. The facility's phone system is "outdated and unable to retrieve messages," she explained. Front desk staff had been instructed to screen calls and take messages on her behalf.
"I normally return my calls within 24 hours," the administrator told inspectors.
But when asked how long this had been going on, she revealed the scope of the problem.
"This problem has been ongoing for almost a year."
The broken communication system meant residents, their representatives, and healthcare providers had no reliable way to leave voicemail messages about care concerns with facility administration.
Inspectors also discovered serious fire safety violations in the facility's laundry room during their August visit. Only one of three dryers was working, and maintenance logs showed a pattern of neglected cleaning that created fire hazards.
The facility's own policy required lint screens to be cleaned every hour and dryer tops cleaned weekly to prevent fires. But maintenance logs told a different story.
There were entries for April 2025, then nothing for May. Fourteen daily entries appeared for June 2025, but the year was incorrectly documented as "202" instead of "2025." July had no entries at all. August showed just one entry on the second day of the month.
The Maintenance and Environmental Services Director initially claimed lint screens were cleaned daily and logged in a binder. But when inspectors reviewed the logs with him, he admitted he "had not reviewed the logs recently and was unaware the logs were not maintained."
Dryer lint creates significant fire hazards because it's highly flammable and can ignite from the dryer's heat. The facility's undated maintenance document warned that dryer tops must be cleaned weekly "to prevent fires" and lint screens cleaned hourly.
Immediately after the interview with inspectors, staff removed "a large amount of lint" from the dryer, suggesting the cleaning schedule had been ignored for some time.
The administrator told inspectors on September 2 that she'd learned about the laundry violations from the Maintenance Director and had already started corrective action by conducting training with laundry staff on August 28.
Both violations were classified as causing "minimal harm or potential for actual harm" to residents. But the communication breakdown affected multiple families over months, while the fire safety violations put the entire facility at risk.
The inspection was conducted as a complaint investigation on September 4, 2025. Federal inspectors documented that "few residents" were affected by the phone system problems, though the broken system prevented any family member from reaching administrators about care concerns for nearly a year.
The facility's inability to maintain basic communication with families highlights how operational failures can cascade into care problems. When families can't report concerns about missed medications or meals, residents may go without proper care while administrators remain unaware of the problems.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Pines Nursing and Rehab from 2025-09-04 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
Data source: Official federal inspection data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Editorial process: AI-synthesized regulatory data, reviewed for accuracy by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: June 20, 2026 · Our methodology
PINES NURSING AND REHAB in EASTON, MD was cited for violations during a health inspection on September 4, 2025.
The problem came to light during a federal inspection in September after multiple complaints from family members who couldn't reach facility staff.
Health inspections identify deficiencies that facilities must correct. Violations range from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the full report below for specific details and facility response.