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Complaint Investigation

North Country Nursing & Rehabilitation Center

August 15, 2025 · Massena, NY · 182 Highland Road
Citations 5
CMS Rating 2/5
Beds 140
Provider ID 335619
Healthcare Facility
North Country Nursing & Rehabilitation Center
Massena, NY  ·  View full profile →
Inspection Summary

NORTH COUNTRY NURSING & REHABILITATION CENTER in MASSENA, NY — inspection on August 15, 2025.

Found 5 citations. Severity: Standard violations.

Health inspections identify deficiencies that facilities must correct within required timeframes. Violations range from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns and are subject to follow-up verification.

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Inspection Findings

FF0692
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Potential for More Than Minimal Harm

Federal health inspectors cited NORTH COUNTRY NURSING & REHABILITATION CENTER in MASSENA, NY for a deficiency under regulatory tag F-F0692 during a standard health inspection conducted on 2025-08-15.

Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies

The facility was found deficient in the following area: Provide enough food/fluids to maintain a resident's health.

Scope/Severity Level D: isolated, no actual harm with potential for more than minimal harm.

While no actual harm was documented, there was potential for more than minimal harm to residents.

This was one of 5 deficiencies cited during this inspection of NORTH COUNTRY NURSING & REHABILITATION CENTER.

Correction Status: Deficient, Provider has date of correction.

The facility reported correction as of 2025-09-18.

During an interview on 8/15/2025 at 11:00 AM, Food Service Director #1 stated the registered dietitian set the menu and signed off on approval.

When asked to view the menu, the Food Service Director stated it was not readily available.

The menu was generic to make it appear neater.

The menu was decided daily based on the available foods in the kitchen. If there were vegetables and desserts on hand, that was adequate.

They stated the food being served during survey was not always the posted menu as it was a very simple process of cooking the vegetables on hand.

They stated the residents had a right to know exactly what the menu for each day would be. At 11:26 AM, the Food Service Director stated the facility did not have menus signed by the dietitian but was having them signed and sent to the facility.

During an interview on 8/15/2025 at 11:03 AM, Licensed Practical Nurse #12 stated the residents received a lot of chicken.

Mashed potatoes and vegetables were usually the same daily, and usually an assorted vegetable mix or just carrots.

Most of the residents complained about getting the same thing all the time.

They were able to have sandwiches as an alternate.

During an interview on 8/15/2025 at 11:18 AM, the Director of Nursing stated alternates were listed on the menu for every meal.

The facility also offered soup and sandwiches.

They stated they were aware of residents complaining of getting the same types of meals. 415.4(c)(1-3)

Facility ID:

IDENTIFICATION NUMBER:

A.

Building

COMPLETED

08/15/2025

STREET ADDRESS, CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE

North Country Nursing & Rehabilitation Center

182 Highland Road Massena, NY 13662

SUMMARY STATEMENT OF DEFICIENCIES

machine not sanitizing properly before lunch and should have sanitized the dishes in the three-bay sanitizer before using them.

They stated dishes required sanitizing to get rid of bacteria. 10NYCRR 483.60(i)(2)

Facility ID:

IDENTIFICATION NUMBER:

A.

Building

COMPLETED

08/15/2025

STREET ADDRESS, CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE

North Country Nursing & Rehabilitation Center

182 Highland Road Massena, NY 13662

SUMMARY STATEMENT OF DEFICIENCIES

Federal health inspectors cited NORTH COUNTRY NURSING & REHABILITATION CENTER in MASSENA, NY for a deficiency under regulatory tag F-F0814 during a standard health inspection conducted on 2025-08-15.

Category: Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies

The facility was found deficient in the following area: Dispose of garbage and refuse properly.

Scope/Severity Level D: isolated, no actual harm with potential for more than minimal harm.

While no actual harm was documented, there was potential for more than minimal harm to residents.

This was one of 5 deficiencies cited during this inspection of NORTH COUNTRY NURSING & REHABILITATION CENTER.

Correction Status: Deficient, Provider has date of correction.

The facility reported correction as of 2025-09-18.

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Based on observations and interviews during the recertification survey conducted 8/11/2025- 8/15/2025, the facility did not ensure a safe, functional, sanitary, and comfortable environment for residents, staff, and the public in one (1) of (3) three units (Unit 200).

Specifically, Unit 200 hallway was unclean and had odors.Findings include: The undated facility Housekeeping Tasks documented hallways/nurse's station should be dust mopped and wet mopped.

The following observations were made on Unit 200:- On 8/11/2025 at 4:12 PM, there was a brown, dried, odorous substance smeared on the floor going down the hallway from the elevators to the shower room.- On 8/12/2025 at 8:52 AM, there was a brown dried, odorous substance on the floor in the hallway near the elevators.

During an interview on 8/14/2025 at 10:07 AM, Housekeeper #2 stated they were responsible for sweeping, mopping, cleaning windowsill, and wiping down everything.

They stated they were responsible for mopping the hallways every day, but they did not always get to them.

Feces on the floors should be cleaned up by nursing staff.

They stated they saw a brown streak down the hallway near the elevator.

During an interview on 8/14/2025 at 2:30 PM, the Infection Preventionist stated the certified nurse aides were responsible for cleaning up feces on the floor and housekeeping would sanitize the area afterward.

During an interview on 8/14/2025 at 2:45 PM, Certified Nurse Aide #4 stated if they observed feces and urine on the floor, they were responsible for cleaning up the feces or urine.10NYCRR 415.29

Facility ID:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an F-tag violation?
F-tags are federal deficiency codes used by CMS to categorize nursing home violations. Each F-tag corresponds to a specific federal regulation (42 CFR Part 483). For example, F607 relates to abuse prevention policies, F880 relates to infection control.
Were these violations corrected?
Facilities must submit plans of correction and implement changes within required timeframes. CMS conducts follow-up inspections to verify corrections. Check the inspection report for specific correction dates and follow-up verification status.
How often do nursing home inspections happen?
CMS conducts unannounced inspections of all Medicare/Medicaid-certified nursing homes at least once per year. Additional inspections may occur based on complaints, facility-reported incidents, or follow-up to verify previous violations were corrected.
What should families do about these violations?
Families should: (1) Review the full inspection report for details, (2) Ask facility administration about specific corrective actions taken, (3) Check if this represents a pattern by reviewing prior inspections, (4) Compare with other facilities in MASSENA, NY, (5) Report new concerns to state authorities.
Where can I see the full inspection report?
Complete inspection reports are available on Medicare.gov's Care Compare website (www.medicare.gov/care-compare). You can also request copies directly from NORTH COUNTRY NURSING & REHABILITATION CENTER or from the state Department of Health. Reports include deficiency codes, facility responses, and correction timelines.


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