I received a disturbing email regarding Medicaid Facilitry of Norfolk by LR. Here is the entire unedited email.
“I am hesitant about doing this out of fear of the possible repercussions. However things have reached a breaking point for me now. The first floor at the PORF location had flooded with a sewage back up twice in one weekend. During this time the PES department was grossly understaffed. Second shift was a skeleton crew and third shift only had one PES and thankfully the nursing department was fully staffed. The manager that was on call that weekend wasn’t answering staff onsite calls until almost 6 AM. Once the morning came and they thought it was fixed, come the end of the second shift the exact same issue happened again. And yet again third shift PES department only had one PES show up to work all three floor and 60 patients! On call management again didn’t answer until 6 AM again and it took hours for any plumbers to arrive onsite to try to fix the problem. The admissions department was still sending new intakes knowing what was happening.
Now over a month later, the entire first floor is under construction. It is completely shut down and now 60 patients are on two floors. They’ve limited females to 18.
Patients are definitely having sexual relations with each other. At least one staff member has been fired for inappropriate conduct and poor boundaries with patients. Staff that was working in the intake department were not conducting proper luggage/skin searches which was permitting contraband into the facility. Documentation of patients property was not being done properly. Many times at time of discharge when patients were to sign for their property only to discover a phone was missing or other high value property.
If a patient wants to leave Against Staff Advice (ASA) at one time as long as a staff member onsite had safe code access the patient would be able to leave with all their property. Then recently it changed to no patient will receive their property from the safe after 5:30 PM. And if a patient is leaving ASA after 5:30 PM or on weekends that patient would need to figure out their own transportation from the facility.
First fights break out and many times there is no consequences for those that fight. Nobody is administratively discharged or possibly even placed on a behavioral intervention. Patients are having clothes, snacks and other property stolen while in groups and nothing is investigated or done about it. Patients many times will threaten to either physically harm or sexually assault staff with no consequences for such threats. Patients are constantly punching holes in the walls, breaking locks and doorknobs in the facility and again there are no consequences for destruction of property.
Dietary has switched management and since this has happened the quality and quantity of food has decreased significantly. Many of the patients have complained and submitted grievances as a result of this. The patients used to be able to get seconds and now (before first floor construction) they’re lucky to get a decent first serving. And with the first floor construction, lunch and dinner are being catered.
Home office isn’t even keeping with their own policies that were put in place. Many staff members will discuss amongst themselves that it is evident that the company is more concerned with heads in the beds to make a profit than they are the quality of their treatment.
The very last straw was the very night before payday a communication was sent out stating we would not be getting direct deposit but paper checks and would need to come in person to pick them up! No explanation or anything. Please do not list my name as I need to keep my job until I am able to find another one.”
I wanted to address the improper patient-to-staff ratios. Landmark got into trouble for being understaffed. One PES for 60 patients is not only unsafe, it’s dangerous. The Executive Director is supposed to notify the state when they are short-staffed. A surprise inspection is in order. The authorities would love to see the porta potties in the parking lot. Last Friday, a patient was found unresponsive inside one of the porta-potties. Staff was instructed to search them.
The first floor is under construction, and the 60 patients are on the two floors. It’s no wonder why patients are acting out. They are barely getting enough food. Men are entering women’s rooms. Patients are stealing people’s property. Patients complain that their personal effects are missing when they are discharged.
I hope the state revokes Landmark’s license and kicks them out of Virginia.