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Litchfield, Conn.

State imposes rules on nursing home

State public health officials will approve a new manager at a Litchfield nursing home that also was fined $2,000 after state inspections found staff prepared inadequate meals and openly referred to residents as monkeys. In a consent order with the Department of Public Health, Fernwood Rest Home will hire a temporary state-approved manager who must provide an assessment of Fernwood’s compliance with state regulations and recommend improvements. The consent order said meals sometimes consisted only of eggs, cereal, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, leftovers, and donuts. Residents told inspectors they went hungry. The state also said administration staff told residents they have to ‘‘go shopping to feed the monkeys’’ and placed a chain across the dining room to ‘‘keep the monkeys out.’’ The manager of Fernwood did not immediately return a call seeking comment.