Arizona Nursing Home Resident Burns To Death
Clara August, a resident at Mereway Manor in Scottsdale, Arizona, died August 14, 2008 after suffering third-degree burns over half her body. Ms. August was sitting outside and attempting to burn a thread off of her dress with a lighter when her dress ignited. The owner of the facility, Nenita Schweicheler, saw Ms. August's dress burning and extinguished the fire. State inspectors arrived at the facility not 90 minutes later to investigate.
Michael and Nenita Schweichler, Mereway Manor's owners, have faced state scrutiny before. In March 2008, Nenita Schweichler's certificate was revoked due to failure of a required test. She has not reinstated it and is working as a facility employee. In September 2006, Michael Schweichler paid $3,500 in penalties for failing to ensure medication requirements, hiring an employee with an invalid training certificate, and failing to comply with fingerprinting requirements. In March 2006, Mr. Schweichler paid $2,900 in penalties for physically restraining a resident, being over capacity at the facility by two residents, and no service plans for clients at his other facility.
