Allegations of Abuse and Neglect at Florida Convalescent Center
Key West Convalescent Center faces possible closure after recent investigations from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) resulted in Medicare and Medicaid pulling the facility's funding, effective December 11, 2008.
The investigative team had nine inspectors from Tallahassee, Miami, and Fort Myers. One incident of abuse involved a 39 year old HIV patient, who reported to surveyors that he had been hurt by two nursing assistants while being washed. The AHCA representatives reviewed the incident, confirmed that it represented abuse, and noted that the incident was improperly documented. The report read "this system failure jeopardized all the residents in the facility." The patient's condition is such that he is provided morphine twice a day and Lortab as needed. Both are very strong painkillers. The facility Administrator, Mark Hunter, said the patient had several large, open sores on his body and was covered with fecal matter. "You've got to keep them clean. That's a fine line between abuse and neglect..."
Mark Hunter, the facility Administrator, said of the investigation, "It sure felt like they were down here to shut us down. They were pretty much on an agenda." He said, "The only hope that we have right now is to hand this building to another operator."
The facility closure will affect 80 residents, most of whom are life long residents of Key West, Florida. The nearest convalescent center is twenty miles away on Plantation Key and only has approximately 20 beds available.
