Saint John Paul II Center is a large nursing facility located in Danbury, Connecticut, offering both short-term rehabilitation and long-term care services. With a capacity of 141 beds, the center is corporately owned and operates on a for-profit basis. The facility is not part of a continuing care retirement community, but it does participate in both Medicare and Medicaid, making it accessible to a broad range of residents with diverse financial and medical needs.
At Saint John Paul II Center, care is provided for individuals recovering from a wide array of acute health events, such as strokes, heart attacks, infections, or injuries. The facility’s short-term rehabilitation program focuses on enabling patients to regain their functional abilities and return home whenever possible. Approximately 40.9% of residents have been able to return home after their rehabilitation stay. Resident safety and health are closely monitored, with the occurrence of serious falls, infections resulting in hospitalization, and emergency room visits carefully tracked. For instance, 7.2% of short-term rehabilitation stays resulted in a serious infection requiring hospitalization, and 11.3% of short-term residents needed to visit the emergency room during their stay.
The long-term care services at Saint John Paul II Center support residents who need daily assistance with activities such as administering medications, dressing, eating, and other personal care tasks. The staff provides an average of 3 hours and 22 minutes of nurse staffing per resident each day, ensuring attention to both medical and non-medical needs. There is a noted commitment to maintaining consistent staffing levels on weekends as well as weekdays, which is crucial for residents who rely on around-the-clock support. The center also places importance on preventive health, exemplified by the fact that 82% of residents received annual influenza vaccinations.
Residents’ ability to maintain independence is tracked and supported within the community. Around 76.8% of residents have been able to maintain key self-care abilities such as moving about, eating, and using the bathroom independently. Emergency occurrences are monitored, with reports indicating 1.3 emergency room visits per 1000 patient days in long-term care. Efforts are made to preserve a comfortable, homelike environment and provide supports for daily living that promote safety and well-being.
Saint John Paul II Center undergoes regular inspections by state and federal agencies focusing on a variety of health, fire, and safety standards. These inspections assess areas such as food preparation and safety, the prevention of abuse and neglect, infection control, adequacy of medical and nursing staff, and the maintenance of secure, accurate medical records. Findings from these inspections, including issues and corrective actions, are documented to promote transparency and continual improvement. The facility also ensures that ongoing training for nurse aides occurs and maintains vigilance in posting nurse staffing details.
The approach at Saint John Paul II Center is to provide a supportive atmosphere, ensuring that each resident can participate in developing and implementing a personalized plan of care. The staff works to uphold residents’ dignity and preferences while delivering necessary treatments and services, whether for rehabilitation or for ongoing long-term needs. Attention is given to food quality, safety, and nutrition, all of which are essential factors for residents’ overall health. Additionally, services such as respiratory care, dialysis, and infection prevention are coordinated as needed, reflecting a holistic commitment to each resident’s well-being. All aspects of care, from the clinical to the social, are designed to help residents maintain or improve their maximum level of functioning and quality of life during their stay at the center.