A new Missouri inspection report highlights the chaos that ensued after St. Louis’ largest nursing home closed without warning last month, forcing the evacuation of more than 170 residents, many in the middle of the night.
Northview Village closed suddenly on Dec. 15 as the company that owned it struggled to meet payroll. The 320-bed skilled nursing facility housed many residents on Medicaid who couldn’t get into other long-term care facilities, including people with mental health and behavioral problems, advocates for the residents have said.
The report from the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services, released Wednesday, cited the financial trouble that prompted the closure. That afternoon, the nursing home administrator told an inspector that one of the owners “refused to pay staff, and said he did not have the money,” the report said.
A nurse told investigators that “when employees found out they would not be paid, staff came in for work and turned around and left.”
Meanwhile, phone lines went down, making it difficult for the 174 residents to communicate with relatives. With no security present, people began stealing from inside the nursing home. An elevator was stuck for 30 minutes with nine people inside, including a wheelchair-bound resident. Tearful residents didn’t know if they were staying or going.