The abrupt closure of Northview Village Nursing Home, the largest skilled nursing facility in St. Louis, has left approximately 170 residents in a state of uncertainty and disarray.
The sudden shutdown occurred on Friday, with residents forced to leave with only the clothes on their backs after workers walked out due to unpaid wages.
Crisis Unfolds at Northview Village Nursing Home
The closure unfolded amid financial challenges faced by the facility, as more than 130 employees reportedly went unpaid, prompting concerns about the facility’s ability to provide essential services.
The situation has raised questions about the welfare of residents, many of whom are Medicaid-dependent and face challenges finding alternative long-term care facilities.
Family members gathered outside the facility on Saturday, seeking information about their loved ones’ whereabouts. The confusion intensified as residents were transported to various care centers across the St. Louis area.
Some family members, like Alvin Cooper of East St. Louis, Illinois, expressed distress as they struggled to locate their relatives. Alvin Cooper Jr., recovering from a gunshot wound to the head and a drug addiction, has been residing at Northview Village for several months.
His father, Alvin Cooper, voiced concerns about his son’s well-being, saying, “I don’t know if he’s somewhere safe or what’s going to happen to him.”
The shutdown occurred as employees questioned the delay in receiving their bi-weekly paychecks. Marjorie Moore, executive director of VOYCE, an agency serving as an ombudsman for long-term care residents, noted that employees discovered their payments would not be forthcoming, leading to the sudden closure.
The facility, Northview Village, had faced previous issues, with federal fines totaling over $140,000 for violations since March 2021. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services had imposed 12 fines, ranging from $2,200 to more than $45,000, and rated the facility one star out of a possible five.
State health department records also revealed nearly two dozen investigations into Northview since 2016.
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Shamell King, an assistant manager at another nursing home, Superior Manor, reported that some Northview Village residents arrived without essential medical documentation, further complicating their transition to new care facilities.
The closure has ignited criticism from the Service Employees International Union Healthcare union, representing approximately 100 displaced workers.
Lenny Jones, the union’s state director, pointed to financial challenges, stating, “They ran out of money to make payroll, caused this massive disruption, and just quickly moved forward with their goal, which was to shutter this facility.”
As residents grapple with uncertainty and families seek answers, the sudden closure of Northview Village highlights the vulnerabilities in the long-term care system, leaving many residents and staff members in distress and without a clear path forward.
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