VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Princess Anne Health & Rehabilitation Center notified its residents that the facility will be closing on Oct. 5 after losing its certification for failure to meet federal healthcare standards, according to a letter obtained by News 3.
Tyler Layne, an investigative reporter from WTKR’s sister station in Richmond, WTVR, discovered the nursing home received notice that its Medicare and Medicaid provider agreements were terminated on Aug. 27 due to a series of alleged violations. Some of the violations the nursing home is accused of led to residents being hospitalized.
It was the first time in at least the last three years that a Virginia nursing home has become federally decertified, according to the state Medicaid agency, and it's a measure that the government views as a "last resort" when problems persist at a facility without remedy.
Watch previous coverage: Nursing home at risk of shutting down after extremely rare federal action
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which regulates nursing homes at the federal level, announced in a public notice that the termination was due to the facility's "failure to meet Medicare’s basic health and safety requirements." In order to receive government funding, facilities are required to comply with regulations that set standards for care.
Earlier in September after the center was decertified, WTKR Virginia Beach reporter John Hood spoke to a family concerned about what they will do for their loved ones in the care of Princess Anne.
“There are about 40 residents there who are going to need placement, and there are no openings in the facilities in our area," said Kristi Benson, whose 87-year-old mother lives at Princess Anne and has dementia. "So I’m not really sure what is going to happen to those people."
Benson said she had 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.
Watch related: Under-staffed, under-inspected Virginia nursing homes might be putting patients at risk, reports say
“Every time you move a dementia patient, it’s a setback, like you’re starting over, and they get very upset," Benson said. "Anything to disrupt their routine is awful."
Mindie Barnett, a spokesperson for Princess Anne, gave the following statement to WTVR on the closure:
"Princess Anne Health & Rehabilitation Center continues to try to work collaboratively with VDH to avoid displacement of residents, if possible. We are communicating all scenarios with residents and families to provide as much information and notice as possible."
The letter sent to families states that current residents can remain up until Oct. 5, 2025 while transfer plans are made.
