A week after the sudden closure of St. Louis’ largest nursing home, Northview Village Nursing Home, approximately 170 residents are facing a chaotic situation, with one person still missing.
The abrupt shutdown left residents scattered across new facilities in the city, prompting outrage and confusion among families and residents alike.
Crisis at Northview Village Nursing Home
Health and Senior Services Department spokesperson Lisa Cox confirmed on Friday that St. Louis police have been alerted about the final resident who remains unaccounted for.
The closure of Northview Village Nursing Home has not only disrupted the lives of vulnerable residents but has also led to the surrender of the facility’s license to operate.
This action will terminate the company’s contracts with Medicare and Medicaid, further complicating the situation for both residents and the company.
Despite the gravity of the situation, attempts to reach out to Healthcare Accounting Services, the company that owns Northview Village and several other residential homes in St. Louis, have been met with unavailability.
With staff reportedly away for the holidays, the company declined to provide contact information for its leadership.
Mark Suissa, one of Northview’s owners, acknowledged the closure but placed blame on insufficient state funding, emphasizing that staff did not receive paychecks on the day the home shut down.
Suissa regretted the abrupt closure, stating, “Of course, I would have done it a different way. I have other partners also involved. But unfortunately, that’s the way it happened.”
The union representing workers, however, revealed a different narrative, suggesting that the company initiated the closure and transported residents away after staff raised concerns about non-payment.
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St. Luis Nursing Home Closure Unveils Disturbing History
Families are grappling with the consequences of this sudden closure, with Levare Westbrook sharing his distressing experience of losing track of his 82-year-old mother, who has dementia, for over two days after the home shut down. “I did a lot of cursing until I finally found her,” he said.
Northview Village Nursing Home’s troubled history is also coming to light, with federal records revealing 12 fines for violations since March 2021, totaling over $140,000.
The fines, ranging from $2,200 to over $45,000, were issued without specifying the reasons. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services gave Northview a one-star rating out of a possible five.
The state health department’s website lists nearly two dozen investigations into Northview since 2016.
Recent complaints highlighted concerns such as residents escaping through unsecured doors and allegations of the facility failing to investigate claims related to residents leaving the nursing home and bringing drugs into it.
As authorities work to locate the missing residents and families demand accountability, the abrupt closure of Northview Village Nursing Home underscores the vulnerabilities within the senior care system and the urgent need for improved oversight and support for both residents and their families in times of crisis.
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