Staff members said changes were happening at a local nursing home and that the State of Ohio didn’t give a new management company enough time to finish making necessary changes before demanding they close their doors.
“Save The Manor” is a grassroots effort started by staff workers at Carlton Manor, also known as The Manor, 726 Rawlings Street, Washington Court House, in attempts to keep the state from shutting down the 115-bed facility for alleged repeated violations.
Last week, the state revoked the nursing home’s medicaid and medicare funding and on Friday, the Ohio Secretary of Health made an official move to revoke the home’s operating license after claiming The Manor failed numerous inspections and refused to correct violations that included sanitation and dietary regulations.
“They were making the changes,” said Jo Wehrs, a nurse at Carlton Manor. “They were willing to spend the money to put our building up to code.”
Wehrs is referring to a new management company that took over operations on December 1, 2013. Most of the state’s complaints are pre-new management.
“On January 3, 2014, we conducted a new complaint investigation, and completed follow-up inspections to the September 26, 2013, October 17, 2013, and November 7, 2013, inspections,” the state said. “This action is based on violations that were cited on November 7, 2013, but not corrected…as well as new violations identified at the time of the January 3, 2014 inspection.”
Wehrs and others are rallying around residents who are begging that the state give the new managers an extension to finish correcting the violations.
Residents made paper signs that read “don’t take our home” and hung them in their bedroom windows. The state allegedly demanded the signs be removed and cited a fire hazard.
Fayette Advocate spoke with a seasoned fire official who said that the 8.5″ by 11″ paper signs didn’t pose a risk.
“Those signs weren’t in violations of any local or state laws,” the official said. “I’ve worked in fire and public safety for over a decade and this is unheard of. If that was the case, then the blinds and curtains would also pose a risk. This looks like it’s the state attempting to silent the voices of the voiceless.”
A “Save The Manor” Facebook page was created over the weekend and has already gained the support of over 800 people. The Fayette County Commissioners are meeting today to discuss how they can intervene to save the residents and nearly 200 employees from losing their jobs.
Wehrs said that the group’s goal is that the state will grant an extension so the new managers can finish making the changes.
“We need more time. The changes were happening.”
A candle light vigil will be held on Friday on the lawn of the nursing home. It is open to the public.
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