"I Will Fire You.": New Mexico Administrator's Last Words
The residents of Rosemont Assisted Living Community of Santa Fe seemed to be having a high number of resident falls. A high-number of patient falls tends to indicate that facility residents should not be in the assisted living facility, but rather in a nursing home. Long-Term Care Ombudsman Sondra Everhart tried to discuss her concerns with the facility's executive director, Charles "Joe" Massey, and the Director of Nursing, with no positive results. Massey didn't want to hear about it. Everhart said, "He didn't want us in the building. He didn't want an independent advocate, which is what we are." Massey allegedly told his staff "if you talk to the ombudsman, I will fire you".
Concerned, Everhart contacted the facility owners via mail and the company immediately fired Massey and the head of nursing. Facility staff members were then retrained and all residents were assessed to ensure they were in the right facility.
