Investigation finds state is doing virtual inspections of nursing, assisted living homes

ATHENS, Ga. — Some of the biggest tragedies with the coronavirus spreading across the country and here in Georgia, have come at nursing homes.

Now, Channel 2 Action News has learned state inspectors are avoiding entering those facilities.

Channel 2 investigate reporter Justin Gray broke the story about 10 dead patients from just one Athens nursing home.

While investigating that story he learned that state inspectors are limiting their visits to many of those facilities.

Gray confirmed that the state is now inspecting the facilities by telephone or email, not in person because of the threat of contracting coronavirus.

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But medical safety experts he spoke with say now more than ever inspectors need to be on site watching out for the safety of elderly patients.

A phone call is the only way the one family can check in on their paraplegic mother, Rose Wade.

She's being kept in her room in isolation at Pruitt Health Grandview.

“Our mother could possibly die alone,” Wade’s daughter Miranda Smith said.

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The family said Wade’s roommate was one of the 10 patients who have died from COVID-19.

“My mother said she constantly told the nurses that this lady is sick,” daughter Orenna Wade said.

“The whole time she was displaying symptoms she was in the room with our mother. The whole time,” Smith said.

Pruitt Health Grandview is just one of many Georgia nursing homes and assisted care facilities being hit hard by this virus.

The Georgia Department of Public Health said 47 long term care facilities in Georgia are dealing with what DPH calls COVID-19 outbreaks.

But Channel 2 Action News has learned that when complaints come into state nursing home regulators, they are not necessarily checking on those problems in person right now.

When Gray questioned the state about the issue, they sent him a statement, saying:

“DCH is conducting some investigations through a desk review process by collecting information over the phone or via email. However, DCH has conducted onsite surveys.”

“That makes no sense. How are you going to inspect a facility over the phone? You have to be there,” Smith told Gray.

Dr. Michael Carome is the medical director of the Washington, D.C. based consumer rights group, Public Citizen.

“Can you really make sure a nursing home is safe over the phone or through email?” Gray asked Carome.

“Absolutely not,” Carome said.

He told Gray that now, in this emergency, more than ever, requires on-site visits by regulators.

“It’s just critically important that these nursing homes in these circumstances be carefully supervised with on-site inspections,” Smith said.

Michelle Therrien shared a Tik Tok video this week of her daughters outside the window of her 92-year-old father Doc’s room at Phoenix Senior Livings Retreat at Loganville. It’s as close as they can get.

“We put him there so he would be safe, but I don’t think he’s safe right now,” Therrien said

The reason Therrien is so concerned is the assisted living center is converting an unused part of the facility into an overflow COVID-19 unit for local hospitals and potentially the facilities own residents

“I just don’t see how they can do it and keep the family members in there safe,” Smith said.

Gray spoke with Phoenix Senior Living's owner by phone. He told Gray that they are keeping the facility isolated from the rest of the residents and he said in a statement:

“This is the right thing to do given the circumstances and the adversity these health systems are facing. Every decision has risk, but sometimes you have to follow your moral compass and trust your intentions.”

While some inspections are going virtual, the state director of public health, Dr. Kathleen Toomey said National Guard teams and other state officials are being proactive, going to state nursing homes.

“And not only test individuals but also, perhaps even most importantly, assure that infection control practices are understood,” Toomey said during a news conference this week.

Pruitt Health CEO Neil Pruitt said they are taking every precaution to try to stop the spread.

“We’ve been about 24 to 48 hours ahead of the government when they’ve issued different policies and so forth. So, we’ve been working nonstop,” Pruitt said.

For Wade's daughters all they can do is tell her they love her. Wade is a fighter who survived a gunshot wound, being paralyzed and amputations.

“She has fought for her life, and for something like this to take her out, for someone else’s negligence, there are no words for that,” Smith said.

The Department of Public Health told Gray that communicable disease specialists have made in-person site visits to the Athens nursing home and report Pruitt is being very cooperative and transparent.

They tell Gray from what staff saw, Pruitt is following recommended protocols. Getting that confirmation is why in-person visits are so important.

National Guard to do deep clean at nursing home where 10 residents died of coronavirus Gov. Kemp said he has signed an executive order mandating more aggressive measures at all assisted living and nursing homes in the state.

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