Jamesville, N.Y.-based Iroquois Nursing Home has been cited for a severe safety violation after a 78-year-old patient jumped out a window on the facility's second floor, reportsThe Post-Standard.
A facility staff member discovered the man in the grass outside around 8:15 p.m. June 1, said Sgt. Jon Seeber of the Onondaga County, N.Y., sheriff's office. The patient had minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital.
The man jumped several hours after arriving at the nursing home. Staff said the man was anxious, confused, agitated and wandering, and they had placed a device on his ankle to notify them if he tried to leave the building, reportsThe Post-Standard.
Windows at the facility have safety latches that prevent them from being opened more than 6 inches, Mr. Seeber said. The man found a mop in a maintenance room and used it to break the latch and fully open the window, Mr. Seeber said.
"Immediately upon learning of this tragic incident, [the state Department of Health] launched an investigation at Iroquois Nursing Home and cited Immediate Jeopardy," said Jeffrey Hammond, a state health department spokesperson, according toThe Post-Standard.
Iroquois Nursing Home did not return calls fromThe Post-Standard.