A documented and uncontested history of failure to protect, medicate and feed residents properly led the Virginia Board of Long-Term Care Administrators to revoke the operator’s and administrator’s permit for the man who owns three assisted-living and retirement homes in Hampton, Suffolk and Williamsburg, VA. The Virginian-Pilot named the owner/operator as Scott Schuett, and the board’s license revocation order is available online.
As summarized by the newspaper, board investigators determined the while Schuett served as administrator at Oakwood Assisted Living in Suffolk, he “failed to ensure residents were properly supervised. There were 19 assaults reported at the facility between January and August [2012] … . In April, Schuett failed to document the discharge of a resident who was attacked by another resident, went to a hospital and failed to return.”
Another Oakwood patient went into diabetes crisis, fell and died from his injuries. Other residents suffered because of inadequate supplies of food and medicines. Similar problems were found at Schuett’s other long-term care facilities — Ashwood Assisted Living in Hampton and Madison Retirement Center in Williamsburg — and the administrators Schuett employed for those facilities also lost their state licenses.
Neither Schuett nor his employees defended themselves in hearings before the licensing board, but all three resident care homes remain in operation under new executives.
Oakwood Assisted Living in Suffolk, VA
The Virginia Nursing Home Neglect Lawyers’ Perspective
I reported and commented on the problems at Oakwood, Ashwood and Madison when they first came to public attention in September 2012. It shocks me that state regulators have allowed the facilities to remain open.
How many strikes should a health care provider who fails to provide for and protect patients’ health get? Whatever number is named, Schuett and the people he hired to run his operations far exceeded three. The limit for an “acceptable” amount of nursing home or assisting-living facility patient abuse and neglect should be set at zero.
Potentially Helpful Info
If you suspect a member of your family has suffered an illness, injury or death due to mistreatment by staff or administrators at the nursing home or long-term care facility where they reside, consider downloading this free report written by Virginia personal injury attorneys to begin learning about your legal rights and options for holding the negligent health care providers accountable.
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