Do you have an experience with Delaware assisted living facilities? We want to hear them
Nursing homes and assisted living facilities across the country came under public scrutiny during the COVID-19 pandemic, as many experienced significant loss among the people who called these centers home.
But some faced challenges long before the pandemic ever hit, including here in Delaware.
A recent investigation by Delaware Online/The News Journal revealed that a Newark nursing home had been cited repeatedly over the past decade for the care some patients received there. Hundreds of pages of inspection reports show that the facility has a history of being understaffed and not following state and federal regulations – including in emergency situations.
This culminated for one family in the most horrific way when their mother, a quiet, strong matriarch whose six children had almost never seen her cry, went missing.
In 2020, Lorece Stewart’s children entered her into the nursing Newark Manor, as her dementia had progressed significantly. They wanted her to be someplace safe.
Robert Stewart and his siblings liked that Newark Manor was smaller and there were employees who had worked there for more than a decade. It was nearby. They were also told her floor would be secured and locked at all times.
With Stewart, 93, being quiet and not very social, the siblings also knew the transition would be difficult. They felt she would be overlooked in a larger facility.
But last February, the Stewart family's worst fears came true. Her body was found leaning on a fence near the facility's generator, right under a balcony on the third floor.
READ THE FULL SUBSCRIBER STORY HERE:They thought their mother was safe in her nursing home. Then their worst fear came true
The Stewarts said they were unaware of the problems facing the nursing home where their mother lived. One year later, the family is still searching for a definitive answer on how she died − and who is responsible. The family filed a lawsuit against Newark Manor in late 2022, claiming negligence and wrongful death.
“The tragedy with which my mom died is unique,” Robert Stewart said. “But what happens to older people – this is not unusual. The state is complicit in allowing this to go on.”
Newark Manor administrator David Boyer declined to answer specific questions for this story, citing pending litigation and privacy laws.
The News Journal, in the coming months, is looking to report more on long-term care in Delaware, particularly assisted living facilities. Reporter Meredith Newman is looking to find more families to talk about their experiences.
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To contact Meredith separately, email her at mnewman@delawareonline.com or call her at 302-256-2466.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware nursing homes: How you can help us report on assisted living
