Last year a 46-year old patient walked away from the Unique Living Center, a nursing home in Shelby, North Carolina.  The patient remains missing, and the state has closed the facility. Pending, though, are an additional $60,000 in fines to include penalties for not properly supervising patients; for not prohibiting smoking inside the building; for not having alarms on all doors, and for not conducting background checks on all its employees.

Click to read more about the Unique Living Center

Various operating entities, wholly or partly owned by Trefzer—a Hickory entrepreneur—manage 20 assisted living centers in North Carolina, with operations divided among a series of limited-liability entities, according to The News & Observer.  Since Trefzger began managing Zebulon House in Wake County last summer, the long-term care center has racked up citations for a four-month infestation of bed bugs, for diverting residents’ funds without permission and for mistakes in dispensing medicine.  The N&O’s Tommy Goldsmith reports, “Trefzger’s homes have accumulated fines of close to $100,000 for 20 top-level or second-rank violations since 2003.”

Click to read Tommy Goldsmith’s entire article.

Breaking News:  The State of California has fined a nursing center $75,000 in the case of an elderly man whose death was reported for months as a heart attack, although he really choked on a tuna sandwich.  In 2003, the state accused the same facility of giving unnecessary drugs to eight patients. However, no fines or sanctions were given then. Viewers to the HensonFuerst Nursing Home blog are reminded to exercise extreme vigilance when family and friends in elder care are on restricted diets.

Click to read the entire article from the Orange County (CA) Register.