An assisted living center in Warren County has been closed by the North Carolina Division of Health Service Regulation. According to the report the Floyd McKissick Senior Assisted Living Center in Norlina received zero stars under the state’s adult care licensure rating system. This is the lowest rating possible.
An inspection made at the facility in April showed problems with admissions, resident care and medication management, so the state regulatory agency pulled the facility’s license and sent residents elsewhere to live. Recently, the same group shut down two other facilities in the state: Sunshine Family Care Homes in Eden and the WNC Family Care Home in Leicester because they both also received zero stars.
Assisted living facilities and nursing homes are rampant with reports of elder abuse and neglect of its patients. Unfortunately, this is a growing problem that will only get worse as aging baby boomers increase in numbers in our population at large. Combine this with the statistics of bad economic planning in the earning years, sets up for improper care of a segment of society that might fall prey to substandard care that might slip through over burden regulators.
If you suspect your loved one has been a victim of elder abuse or negligence from a nursing facility or assisted living facility then you should seek immediate legal counsel. Although signs of abuse may be hard to detect as they either might be fearful to report this due to retaliation amongst the facilities workers, or they may feel embarrassed to admit that they are being abused or neglected.
Here are some telltale signs of abuse or neglect an elder loved one or family member may be experiencing. At first, you might not recognize or take seriously signs of elder abuse. They may appear to be symptoms of dementia or signs of the elderly person’s frailty or caregivers may explain them to you that way. In fact, many of the signs and symptoms of elder abuse do overlap with symptoms of mental deterioration, but that doesn’t mean you should dismiss them on the caregiver’s say-so. You may see or hear about frequent arguments or tension between the caregiver and the elderly person. Additionally, you might also see changes in personality or behavior in the elder loved one.
BM