Issues continue at Oakwood
Published 9:23 pm Monday, June 3, 2013
Suffolk’s Oakwood Assisted Living is continuing to rack up alleged violations, according to recent online reports by the Virginia Department of Social Services.
A female staff member letting residents watch pornographic videos in her car is among seven alleged violations of standards inspectors discovered at the East Washington Street facility on March 20.
The allegation was made after a review of documentation of interviews with the facility’s administrator, contained in the staff member’s personnel record.
The staff member, who was subsequently fired, had allegedly let residents watch pornography in her car on the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift, according to the department’s website.
Inspectors also discovered she had allegedly argued with a colleague, including “cussing” and “screaming,” in front of residents, according to the website.
Other alleged violations from the March 20 inspection, reported online, include a staff member emptying a resident’s catheter bag without the training to do so, and a resident who failed to receive mandated “incontinence care” every two hours.
Complaints alleging staff were spending time with residents in their personal vehicles during the overnight shift triggered the inspection, the department reported.
While at Oakwood on May 20, the inspectors uncovered another 18 alleged violations in a separate “focused monitoring inspection,” according to the department.
Allegations include failure to ensure all direct-care staff met minimum training requirements, psychotropic medications given without a required treatment plan, and criminal history record reports missing from staff files.
A final order not to renew Oakwood’s license has been forwarded to the commissioner of the Virginia Department of Social Services, Margaret Schultze, for her consideration, according to a statement from the department.
Oakwood’s owner, Scott Schuett, had appealed a decision against renewing the license, but the department rejected his proposed revised consent agreement/compliance plan, a bid to keep the facility licensed, the statement says.
Meanwhile, Schuett has not appealed a decision against renewing his own license to run such facilities, the department reported.
Schuett has entered into a management plan for Oakwood with Tabernacle Christian Church, its direct neighbor, the department says.
“The church is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the facility under the agreement,” the department stated.
Bishop Carlton R. Upton, pastor at Tabernacle Christian, did not return calls seeking further details on the arrangement with Oakwood.
Other Hampton Roads assisted-living facilities owned by Schuett have gone out of business due to repeated violations.
Oakwood has now had well over 100 alleged violations during the past couple of years.
Schuett could not be reached for comment.