Tuscany Village families are stepping forward, saying the nursing home’s staff is not providing their loved ones with sufficient nutrition.
Many families have come forward nationwide with concerns about the treatment of their loved ones in facilities that are caring for patients with COVID-19. In one of these cases, a second family is accusing Tuscany Village Nursing Center in Oklahoma of failing to provide proper care in the coronavirus wing of the facility where they contend the patients are receiving insufficient nutrition.
Maggie Maples’ grandfather, 89-year-old Bill Matthews, is near death, now battling COVID-19 at Integris Hospice House. She says her grandfather did not received proper care at the nursing facility and his condition quickly deteriorated.
“At this point, we’re just waiting for him to go,” Maples said. “He’s been unresponsive since we got here.”
An investigation into the condition of another resident with COVID-19 began shortly before Matthews’.
“We saw him decline pretty rapidly just from dehydration and no food,” Marla Bennett Miller said of her brother, 69-year-old William Mark Johnson. “When they moved him to the COVID area, it just seems to us that they put him in a room and just left him there.” She said Johnson is one of 47 COVID-19 patients at the center.
Bennett Miller added, “His water was there, but he couldn’t get to it. His food was there, but they wouldn’t make sure he had it. Corporate is running it like a business and forgetting how sad it is to look into their faces of these people that have, you know, not seen their loved ones in nine months now.”
Maple agrees that staff is not ensuring their loved ones are receiving enough to eat or drink. She said of Matthews, “They just said he hasn’t eaten or drank anything in three days, and they said it just kind of felt like he forgot how to eat or drink. His mouth was so dry, it was peeling. He was frail and fragile.”
A resident at Tuscany Village who wishes to remain anonymous confirmed, “This is a nightmare in here right now.” And this was supported by an unidentified employee.
Tuscany Village Nursing Home responded with the following statement:
“Tuscany Village Nursing Center has been contacted by KFOR, the NBC affiliate in Oklahoma City, regarding allegations made by a Tuscany Village resident’s family with respect to the resident’s care. Tuscany Village’s privacy policies, as well as federal and state law, preclude Tuscany Village from commenting regarding any resident’s medical condition. Tuscany Village investigates all such concerns in conformity with applicable facility policies and regulations and have done so in this instance. With respect to questions regarding the facility’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the facility initiated a COVID-19 management plan in early March in accordance with guidance issued by the federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Oklahoma State Department of Health and other federal, state and local agencies. The program has been revised on an ongoing basis in response to the numerous changes in the agency directives. The health and safety or our residents is of paramount importance to Tuscany Village and we will continue to use our best efforts to provide the highest quality services possible given the numerous and unprecedented challenges that healthcare facilities are confronted with in the face of the pandemic.”
“I don’t want this to happen to any more people,” Maples said.
Sources:
Another family steps forward with allegations against COVID-19 patient care at Village nursing home
Family alleges COVID-19 patient is not getting proper care at Village nursing home
Join the conversation!