License revocation hearings set for facility

State began process against Hubbard Road Meadows assisted living

License revocation hearings for the Hubbard Road Meadows assisted living facility in Madison Township are scheduled for April 3 and 5, according to an Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Ser- vices spokesman.

The state agency began the license revocation process for Hubbard Road Meadows in January following the arrest of an administrator on a fourth-degree felony charge of patient abuse.

Alice Ramsey, 54, of Madison

Township, was arrested Jan. 13 following an investigation by Madison Township police after an 85-yearold resident was transported to the Lake Health Madison Emergency Department.

The victim died four days later. On that same day, Hubbard Road Meadows received a letter from the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services stating it is in the process of revoking the facility’s license.

The incident occurred Jan. 3 and Adult Protective Services filed a complaint three days later.

According to the letter sent to the adult care facility’s owner, Marvin Bruno, the victim was in her room banging to be heard. Visitors alerted staff, who tried to get into the room unsuccessfully and had to return to obtain keys. When staff returned, the victim was found to have her head wedged in a nightstand. Visitors had to assist in freeing the resident, who was later transported

to the emergency room.

The letter stated Ramsey also verbally abused residents by yelling at them.

The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services investigation found several other issues at the facility.

The letter states there were also at least four known deaths at the facility of which the department was not notified.

It also indicates there were multiple occurrences of falls and the required documentation was not consistently found in the resident records.

“Many times, follow-up by a physician or nurse did not occur,” the letter stated.

Three of the four rooms furnished with bathtubs did not have the required nonskid surfaces in the tubs, according to the department’s investigation.

Required databases and background checks were not completed on all employees of the facility according to the department. The facility allegedly hired a 16-year-old staff member (staffers are required to be at least 18) and there was no documentation verifying compliance with training requirements for staff.

Also, according to the letter, each resident room is equipped with a deadbolt that can be opened from the inside, but residents are not given keys to their room. The letter states that Bruno indicated “not all of them want keys,” but did not provide any documentation to support this claim.

“There is concern that a resident that suffers with dementia might unknowingly be locked in their room,” stated the letter signed by Tracy Plouck, director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. “Due to the confusion dementia causes, a resident may not be able to maneuver the lock, resulting in their inability to leave the room. The resident suffering dementia, therefore could also be locked in the room by staff against their will.”

Bruno declined comment March 2 regarding the upcoming hearings.

Ramsey pleaded not guilty at her Jan. 13 arraignment hearing in Painesville Municipal Court. She waived her pretrial hearing Jan. 30 and her case has been bound over to Lake County Common Pleas Court.

Ramsey