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LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) — An assisted living facility in Lynchburg will close in January following the loss of its state license.
The Virginia Department of Social Services determined the Odd Fellows Home of Virginia was violating state licensing standards concerning supervision of residents, record keeping, medication and other issues. Agency documents show the violations were discovered during inspections conducted earlier this year in response to complaints, The News & Advance (http://bit.ly/1P0Q8Pe) reported.
During a July inspection, an inspector found reports in the facility's records of "one resident wandering from the facility and was found in the local neighborhood," and another resident "starting to sip on Old Spice cologne." The inspector's report said the facility was understaffed, falls were commonplace, and residents were not receiving the required level of care or attention, according to documents posted on the department's website.
The July inspection also found that the facility's administrator, Sherri Robertson, had an expired professional license. She has since renewed the license, which is a mandatory requirement of the Virginia Department of Health Professions.
A sign posted on facility's front door on Dec. 7 stated it will cease operations the first week of January. As of Oct. 1 the facility had 60 residents who are in the process of relocating to other facilities, the newspaper said.
Robertson and state officials declined to comment to the newspaper.
The facility is run by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, an international fraternal organization. Brig. Gen. Glenn L. Adcock, a member of the organization's Sovereign Grand Lodge, told the newspaper that all lodge members have been advised by an attorney "to not say anything at all to the news media."
Grand Master David Carter and Grand Secretary Jack Gibson Jr. emailed a Nov. 16 letter to members of the Grand Lodge of Virginia notifying them that the state had decided to close the facility, the newspaper said.
Carter and Gibson said in the letter that the facility's board decided not to appeal the state's decision.
"The future of the home property and assets are uncertain, but restructure and staffing considerations have yet to be discussed," the letter stated.
City records show the facility and land are worth about $3.5 million.
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Information from: The News & Advance, http://www.newsadvance.com/
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