VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — News 3 is following up on a nursing home in the Landstown area that was reported last month as being at risk of shutting down for failing to meet federal health and safety standards.
Some families have spoken to News 3 about their uncertainty regarding next steps.
“I really don’t know what’s going to happen,” Kristi Benson said.
Benson, whose 87-year-old mother has dementia, explained that while it has been difficult to find care, she felt that the treatment her mother received at Princess Anne Health and Rehabilitation Center was a lifesaver.
“Our experience has been good; we’ve been overall happy. She’s thriving there, she’s gaining weight, she’s eating, she’s made friends, so it really came as a shock to our family,” Benson said.
Benson is referring to a report conducted by our sister station WTVR, where investigative reporter Tyler Layne found that the nursing home was served a notice that, as of August 27, its Medicare and Medicaid provider agreements are terminated following a series of violations, including some that resulted in residents being hospitalized.
“It's extremely rare for a nursing home operator to have their provider agreement removed," said Richard Mollot, the executive director of the Long Term Care Community Coalition, which tracks nursing home performance metrics and enforcement actions across the country.
Mollot explained decertification typically only happens when a facility is cited with violations and does not correct them in a timely manner. Nursing homes generally have six months from the time they receive citations to implement corrective actions and are given multiple opportunities to regain compliance.
“What this really indicates to me is that a tremendous amount of bad things have gone on in this facility for a long enough period of time that the government has said, ‘OK, we're going to do the last possible thing we can do to save residents and to protect the community,'" Mollot said.
He said a CMS termination could put a facility at risk of shutting down by making it financially difficult to continue operating.
“They're not officially closed, but they're not allowed to take Medicare/Medicaid funds, and Medicare and Medicaid funds take up or account for the large majority of monies that nursing homes get," Mollot said.
The facility has until the end of September to remedy these issues, after which Medicare payments will cease for patients who were admitted before the end of May.
“There are about 40 residents there who are going to need placement, and there are no openings in the facilities in our area. So I’m not really sure what is going to happen to those people,” Benson said.
Benson mentioned that she has received calls about her mother moving to different facilities — some of which concern her due to their current ratings and locations. She just wants to know if any corrective action can be taken to alleviate stress on her mother.
“Every time you move a dementia patient, it’s a setback, like you’re starting over, and they get very upset. Anything to disrupt their routine is awful,” she said.
A spokesperson for the facility said the following in a statement:
Princess Anne Health & Rehabilitation Center continues to work diligently with the Virginia Department of Health Office of Licensure and Certification (VDH/OLC) in an effort to do everything possible to allow our residents to stay in their home. We believe a collaborative approach between the facility and state inspectors is the best way forward for residents and their families. Residents who desire to remain in their home can likewise reach out to VDH/OLC. Residents will have a minimum 30 day notice of any action that would require them to be relocated but working together we are confident a just resolution can be had which will allow residents to continue to receive care in their homes. Staff to remain employed and the community to continue to have a valuable healthcare resource.
