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The closing of any business can affect a community. However, when that business is a nursing home, it affects both the community and the patients who reside there. Recently, several nursing homes in Georgia have been shut down, affecting communities all over the state. One is in Abbeville, Georgia.
Abbeville Healthcare and Rehab closed its doors for good last week. All of the patients and residents had been moved from the facility the week before. Still, the parking lot was crowded as former employees arrived to pick up their last paychecks.
More than 90 patients had to find other accommodations. The facility employed more than 100 people in the city. Abbeville, located in Wilcox county in south-central Georgia, has a population of about 2,900 people. The ripple effects of the closing of the facility are expected to be felt by all within the community.
Abbeville is the fourth Georgia facility operated by Tennessee-based New Beginnings Care to be closed. The closures came after federal health officials stopped Medicare and Medicaid payments, citing potential for harm to patients.
Despite the shortfalls of the facility, many of the employees claimed that they did their best to care for the patients. Many wanted to continue working for the facility. An employee who worked in patient records stated that they ran short of non-medical supplies, beds, and wheelchairs.
When it became clear that the facility was in jeopardy, some employees offered to come in on their own time and make repairs themselves. Employees reported that they will not be paid for some of the overtime they’ve worked and some had paychecks bounce.
New Beginnings Care operates five other nursing homes in Georgia is under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The other facilities that have been closed have been located in Macon, Jeffersonville, and Rockmart.
Among the reasons cited for the closure were 13 deficiencies discovered in an inspection last August. Seven of those were labeled “environmental,” while another three were labeled “administrative.” Also cited was failure to hire a properly licensed administrator.
If you believe that you or someone you love has been the victim of abuse or neglect while a patient at a nursing facility, contact the law offices of John Foy & Associates. The “Strong Arm” attorneys will work to get you the compensation you deserve. Contact us today.
