COLUMBIA, Mo. — One individual remains to be lacking every week after the abrupt closure of St. Louis’ largest nursing residence left roughly 170 residents scattered at new amenities all through the town, a state well being division spokeswoman confirmed Friday.

Many sufferers left with nothing however the garments they had been sporting when Northview Village Nursing House shuttered with out warning final week, creating confusion and spurring outrage amongst residents and their households.

St. Louis police have been alerted in regards to the last resident who stays unaccounted for, Well being and Senior Companies Division spokesperson Lisa Cox stated in a Friday electronic mail.

Cox stated Northview Village additionally has surrendered its license to function, which is able to finish the corporate’s contracts with Medicare and Medicaid.

An individual answering the telephone stated workers of Healthcare Accounting Companies, which owns Northview Village and several other different St. Louis residential properties, are gone for the vacations and declined to offer electronic mail addresses for firm leaders.

Considered one of Northview’s homeowners, Mark Suissa, advised the St. Louis Publish-Dispatch that the state wasn’t paying sufficient to maintain the ability afloat and laid blame on workers, who didn’t obtain paychecks the day the house closed.

“After all I might have performed it a unique approach,” he stated of the closure. “I’ve different companions additionally concerned. However sadly, that’s the best way it occurred.”

The union representing employees has stated the corporate began to shut the house and bus away residents after workers raised issues about not being paid.

Levare Westbrook advised the Publish-Dispatch that he misplaced monitor of his 82-year-old mom, who has dementia, for greater than two days after the house shut down.

“I did an entire lot of cursing till I lastly discovered her,” he stated.

Northview Village has been fined 12 occasions for federal violations since March 2021, based on the Facilities for Medicare and Medicaid Companies. Fines totaled over $140,000 and ranged from $2,200 to greater than $45,000. The federal company offers Northview a one-star ranking out of a potential 5 however doesn’t spell out causes for the fines.

As well as, the state well being division web site lists practically two dozen Northview investigations since 2016. The newest grievance, from February, stated a resident was capable of get out of the constructing by means of an unsecured door. A 2021 grievance alleged the ability failed to research claims that residents left the nursing residence and introduced medicine into it.

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