DAVIDSON COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — Pine Ridge Health and Rehabilitation has corrected deficiencies found by state health investigators during a January 2022 incident where three staff members were left to care for nearly 100 patients during a snowstorm, according to a new report.
The Department of Health and Human Services found that the center has corrected 12 of its 13 listed deficiencies, eight of which were cited as being “immediate jeopardy” level.
The deficiencies included:
- Resident rights
- Notification of changes
- Safe/clean/comfortable/homelike environment
- Free from abuse and neglect
- Quality of care
- Free of accident/hazards/supervision/devices
- Nursing services/sufficient nursing staff
- Sufficient dietary support personnel
- Frequency of meals/snacks at bedtime
- Administration – governing body
- ADL care provided for dependent residents
The only one not listed was for Emergency Preparedness.
The report did not list the submitted plan Pine Ridge Health and Rehabilitation Center had made in reference to the deficiencies found after the January 16 incident.
The nursing home was left understaffed with patients not being given the proper care they, or anyone, deserved.
For more than 12 hours, patients were left to starve, sit in their own wastes, and were not given their medicine as three employees at the center cared for them as best as they found.
Two patients were hospitalized for the critical level they were found in.
It was later discovered that the administrator and other department leaders failed to adequately prepare for the inclement weather or notify their staff of the Emergency Preparedness plan.
The administrator and the Director and Nursing were suspended by Pine Ridge and Principle LT, their parent company.
Before March 24, Pine Ridge leaders submitted that they had fixed the deficiencies.
On March 30, DHHS investigators made a surprise visit to make sure that was the case.
FOX8 has reached out to DHHS to explain more of its finding, including what was found regarding an Emergency Preparedness plan.
Thomasville Police are continuing their investigation into the situation at Pine Ridge Health and Rehabilitation.
The Davidson County District Attorney has not made a decision on charges in this case.
