Thomasville nursing home under investigation after 2 found dead and for a lack of staff
Law enforcement and state health care officials are investigating whether criminal charges or state health violations will be issued after two people were found dead at a Thomasville nursing home on Sunday with only three employees staffing the facility at the time.
“There are many aspects to this investigation,” said Davidson County District Attorney Garry Frank. “Possible charges depend on the results of the investigations; there are multiple possibilities at various levels. We won’t be making any decisions on charges until the outcome of the investigations."
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Frank said there are multiple agencies conducting investigations, including the Thomasville Police Department, the State Bureau of Investigation and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
Thomasville police said officers conducted a welfare check at Pine Ridge Health and Rehabilitation Center on Sunday evening after staff could not be reached by phone and residents reported not seeing staff for a prolonged period.
Upon arrival, officers found three employees, including one licensed practical nurse and two certified nursing assistants, serving 98 patients at the nursing home.
While first responders were going door to door assessing the residents, two patients were found dead, and two others were deemed in critical condition and transferred to local hospitals.
Davidson County EMS, Davidson County Emergency Management and Thomasville Fire Department personnel remained at the facility until 7:30 a.m. Monday to ensure patients received care.
More: 2 found dead in Thomasville nursing home. Police find 3 staff for 98 patients.
Thomasville police Capt. Brad Saintsing said weather and road conditions most likely contributed to the inadequate staffing issues. He said the department will be investigating, among other things, whether the nursing home followed state-required protocol for staffing relating to the weather and emergency situations.
According to police, staff at the nursing home told them the families of the deceased had been notified earlier in the day.
Because the deaths are part of a criminal investigation, they will undergo autopsies by the N.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. It is unknown how long it will take for these autopsy results to be assessed and released.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is currently at Pine Ridge Health and Rehabilitation in Thomasville overseeing operations.
A representative from NCDHHS said in a written statement that they are currently investigating the incident and do not have any information to release at this time.
“Regulation staff worked with county officials and local and state emergency management officials to help coordinate a response to the situation at Pine Ridge ... . We cannot comment on on-going investigations,” said Kelly Haight Connor, communications manager for NCDHHS.
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She said information about prior surveys and complaint investigations are available online at https://info.ncdhhs.gov/dhsr/facilities/search.asp. Results from this survey will be posted there when they are finalized.
Frank said due to the complexity of the incident, including the impact of inclement weather during the event, pending charges may take several weeks to develop.
“There are multiple outcomes; it’s a matter that we feel must be investigated and law enforcement is doing so," Frank said. "It is a fairly complicated matter to investigate."
General news reporter Sharon Myers can be reached at sharon.myers@the-dispatch.com. Follow her on Twitter @LexDispatchSM.
This article originally appeared on The Dispatch: Thomasville nursing home under investigation after deaths and lack of staff
