Virginia: ALF’s Continue to Operate Despite Expired Licenses, Violations

Expired facility licenses and a slew of violations, including a lack of qualified administrators, haven’t prevented the continued operation of several assisted living facilities, or ALFs, under the ProPlusCare umbrella in Hampton Roads.

Despite ongoing complaints and multiple documented failures to meet the state’s standards, thanks to due process, they can continue to operate and take in new residents until all licensing appeals are exhausted. The Department of Social Services, which regulates them, was unable to give a timeline for the process, which in the instance of Madison Retirement Center in Williamsburg has continued for almost a year, since March 2012.

Administrative problems:

Over the years, Scott Schuett expanded ProPlusCare to operate six ALFs — Madison, Ashwood Assisted Living in Hampton, Oakwood Assisted Living in Suffolk, Governor’s Inn in Newport News, and Chesapeake Home and Colonial Home, both in Chesapeake — with the capacity to house 400 residents, the vast majority of them low income living on Social Security disability, SSI, supplemented by auxiliary housing grants from the state.

After multiple inspections by the Department of Social Services revealed a litany of violations at each facility, including medication mismanagement, inadequate food supplies, bed bugs and foul odors, Schuett and two of his employees, Rena Gaddy Thomas and Donna Norvell, were stripped of their administrator’s licenses in late 2012 by the Board of Long Term Care Administrators. It determined that Schuett’s practice posed “a substantial danger to the public health and safety.”

Expired licenses and more:

At the end of November Schuett voluntarily closed one facility, Governor’s Inn in Newport News, but the other five continue to operate, including Madison, whose conditional license (an indicator of prior problems) expired almost a year ago, in March 2012. Norvell, who lost her license in October, was the administrator of record there. No qualified replacement is listed by the Department of Social Services.

By law, ALFs must employ a licensed administrator or a qualified acting administrator.

Full Article and Source:
Assisted living facilities continue to operate despite expired licenses, violations

See Also:
Scott Schuett, Operator of 5 ALF’s License Revoked

Virginia: ALF’s Operating on Expired Licenses

These are the five remaining homes operated by ProPlusCare, a company formed by Scott Schuett. In November he appointed Rena (Gaddy) Thomas to take over leadership of the company; he also closed the Governor’s Inn facility in Newport News. A month before her appointment, Thomas, who was married to Schuett briefly in 2011, lost her administrator’s license for repeated inspection violations at Ashwood Assisted Living in Hampton.

• Ashwood Assisted Living, 40 Hunt Club Blvd., Hampton; 757-827-0000.
Listed Administrator: Rena Thomas (license revoked Oct. 31, 2012)
License: One-year license expired Aug. 25, 2012. Renewal is under appeal.
Last inspection: Nov. 15, 2012; observed unruly resident, urine-soaked pants, no recorded menu substitutions, maintenance issues, call bell not working, foul odors, bed bugs, cockroaches. “The facility failed to assume general responsibility for the health, safety and well-being of the residents.”

• Chesapeake Home, 1012 N. George Washington Highway, Chesapeake; 757-485-5597
Listed Administrator: Kristin Krewson
License: One-year license expired Dec. 31, 2012. Renewal inspection completed, waiting for decision.
Last inspection: Dec. 4, 5, 6, 2012; acting administrator failed to document when on site; admitted residents on psychotropic meds without appropriate treatment plan, failed to document assessed needs, menu not posted and did not meet USDA guidelines, improper administration of medications, failure to provide scheduled activities, maintenance issues, and lack of staff training in cognitive impairments.

• Colonial Home, 904 George Washington Highway, Chesapeake; 757-487-9737.
Listed Administrator: None.
License: One-year license expired Dec. 5, 2012. Renewal inspection completed, waiting for decision.
Last inspection: Nov. 26, 2012; Billing irregularity; October renewal inspection found discharge irregularities, medications not available, inconsistent record-keeping, acting administrator hadn’t filed application to Long Term Care Board.

• Madison Retirement Center, 251 Patriots Lane, Williamsburg; 757-220-4014.
Listed Administrator: None.
License: Conditional license expired March 5, 2012. Renewal is under appeal.
Last inspection: Nov. 13, 2012; no licensed administrator of record, resident didn’t have medical hose on, medication records not accurately documented, needed medications not available, dirty linens, bed bugs.

• Oakwood Assisted Living, 2536 E. Washington St., Suffolk; 757-538-9214.
Listed Administrator: Scott C. Schuett (license revoked Dec. 11, 2012)
License: One-year license expired Sept. 30, 2012. Renewal is under appeal.
Last inspection: Nov. 26, 2012; during renewal inspection “33 violations that were widespread, systemic, pervasive, and with high risk ratings” were observed.

Full Article and Source:
ALF’s Operating on Expired Licenses