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>> Karen: IN MICHIGAN NURSING
HOMES, COVID SPREAD LIKE
WILDFIRES.
TONIGHT, A SPECIAL INVESTIGATION REVEALING MULTIPLE FACILITIES
REVEALING MULTIPLE FACILITIES
GOT BIG BONUSES AFTER BEING
CITED FOR NOT FOLLOWING SAFETY
PROTOCOLS. QUESTIONS ARE BEING ASKED ABOUT
QUESTIONS ARE BEING ASKED ABOUT
COVID CARE IN MICHIGAN’S NURSING
HOMES.
>> Jason: A NEW LOCAL 4
INVESTIGATION SHOWS HUNDREDS OF NURSING HOMES RECEIVED THOUSANDS
NURSING HOMES RECEIVED THOUSANDS
OF DOLLARS IN MONEY FOR CARE.
GRANT HERMES IS LOOKING INTO
THAT.
>> MY MOM IS GONE.
I CAN’T GET HER BACK. >> Grant: CAROL LOST HER MOTHER
>> Grant: CAROL LOST HER MOTHER
AND HER UNCLE WHILE BOTH WERE
LIVING INSIDE THE RIVERDALE NURSING HOME IN RIVERVIEW WHERE
NURSING HOME IN RIVERVIEW WHERE
COVID SPREAD QUICKLY.
SHE LOST HER MOTHER THERE AND
HER UNCLE OVER THE SUMMER. NEITHER DIED FROM THE SUMMER BUT
NEITHER DIED FROM THE SUMMER BUT
HER MOTHER WAS RUNNING A FEVER
SO HIGH SHE COULDN’T SPEAK.
HER UNCLE WAS TREATED FOR SYMPTOMS EXPECTED TO BE COVID-19
SYMPTOMS EXPECTED TO BE COVID-19
BUT NEVER TESTED POSITIVE.
AND THEN LAST SEPTEMBER, THE
STATE SENDING THIS LETTER AFTER
AN INFORMAL REHAVE YOU.
>> BASED ON THE OBSERVATIONS,
INTERVIEW AND RECORD REVIEW, THEY PROPERLY FAILED TO PAIN
THEY PROPERLY FAILED TO PAIN
TAKEN INSPECTION CONTROL
PRACTICES DURING A COVID
INSPECTION PATROL.
>> Grant: RIVERDALE WAS HARDEST
HIT.
AND THE PAPER COMPANY LIFE CARE CENTERS OF AMERICA TELLING LOCAL
CENTERS OF AMERICA TELLING LOCAL
4 BACK IN JUNE, 55 RESIDENTS
DIED FROM COVID-19 IN THE
NURSING HOME AND SISTER
FACILITIES NEXT DOOR. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, RIVERGATE
SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, RIVERGATE
WAS GIVEN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS
IN REWARD MONEY FOR QUALITY
CARE.
DO YOU THINK THEY DESERVE IT? >> NO, NO, NOT AT ALL.
>> NO, NO, NOT AT ALL.
NOT AT ALL.
>> Grant: ACCORDING TO A REVIEW OF RECORDS FROM MARCH TO AUGUST
OF RECORDS FROM MARCH TO AUGUST
OF 2020, LOCAL 4 FOUND 516 COVID
SPECIFIC INSPECTION REPORTS.
THEY WERE LOOKING FOR EVERYTHING
FROM MASK VIOLATIONS TO FAILURES THAT WOULD PUT RESIDENTS IN
THAT WOULD PUT RESIDENTS IN
IMMEDIATE JEOPARDY.
173 WERE CONSIDERED IN
COMPLIANT.
149 GIVEN NOTICES OF FAILURES. OF THOSE, 123 GAVE PLANS TO FIX
OF THOSE, 123 GAVE PLANS TO FIX
THE FAILURES, BUT 26 DID NOT
GIVE A PLAN TO FIX THE PROBLEM. AND MAYBE EVEN MORE TROUBLING:
AND MAYBE EVEN MORE TROUBLING:
194 WERE INSPECTED BUT THE
REPORTS NEVER SAY WHETHER THEY
WERE SAFE.
AND 6 FACILITIES IN THE STATE WERE NOT INSPECTED FOR COVID-19.
WERE NOT INSPECTED FOR COVID-19.
SO WHAT ABOUT THE MONEY?
IT’S INCENTIVE MOPE FROM HHS
BASED ON RESIDENT CASES OVER A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME COMPARED
CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME COMPARED
TO COUNTY AND COMMUNITY
INFECTIONS.
MANY FACILITIES RECEIVED MONEY
AFTER SUBMITTING A PLAN TO FIX
COVID PROTECTION AND OTHERS ASKED FOR A DESK REVIEW IN WHICH
ASKED FOR A DESK REVIEW IN WHICH
AN INSPECTOR EVALUATES THE
FACILITY OVER THE PHONE BUT IN
MANY CASES, A SECOND INSPECTION WASN’T LISTED.
WASN’T LISTED.
NURSING HOMES ARE ONLY EXPECTED
ONCE EVERY 13 MONTHS.
MANY NURSING HOMES RAKED IN
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, INCLUDING RIVERGATE,
DOLLARS, INCLUDING RIVERGATE,
GETTING MORE THAN $356,000.
IN ALL, MICHIGAN NURSING HOMES
AND LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES
RECEIVED MORE THAN $48.4
MILLION! WHILE THEIR PATIENTS ACCOUNTED
WHILE THEIR PATIENTS ACCOUNTED
FOR ROUGHLY A THIRD OF THE
STATE’S COVID DEATHS.
RIVERGATE WAS AMONG THE
FACILITIES THAT FILED A PLAN AND MAINTAINED THEY WERE ABLE TO
MAINTAINED THEY WERE ABLE TO
KEEP THE COVID CASES LOW AFTER
THE OUTBREAK.
CAROL STILL WANTS ANSWERS. >> I THINK THAT, IN MY HEART, I
>> I THINK THAT, IN MY HEART, I
FEEL THAT THEY ARE HIDING SO
MUCH.
I THINK THEY MADE A LOT OF
MISTAKES, AND I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF FAMILIES THAT SUFFERED
A LOT OF FAMILIES THAT SUFFERED
BECAUSE OF THEIR MISTAKES.
>> Grant: WE DID REACH OUT TO
RIVERGATE SEVERAL TIMES AND LEFT
SEVERAL MESSAGES BUT WE DID NOT GET A COMMENT BACK.
GET A COMMENT BACK.
THERE ARE A LOT OF NURSING HOMES
THAT NAVIGATED COVID WELL.
AND WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE
COVID PATIENTS ACCEPTANCE
POLICY.
EXPERTS SAY THERE’S NO EVIDENCE
THAT THE POLICY MADE THINGS
WORSE INSIDE THESE FACILITIES OR
THAT MOVING THE PATIENTS TO SOMEWHERE ELSE COULD HAVE
SOMEWHERE ELSE COULD HAVE
AVOIDED DEATH.
JASON?
>> STILL SO MUCH WE NEED TO
KNOW.
IS THERE A WAY, BY THE WAY, FOR
PEOPLE TO LOOK UP WHICH NURSING
HOMES RECEIVED MONEY AND HOW MUCH?
>> Grant: WE’VE GOT LINKS TO ALL
THE DOCUMENTS WE REVIEWED AS
WELL AS WHICH NURSING HOMES GOT
MONEY AND HOW MUCH THEY GOT, UP
RIGHT NOW ON CLICKONDETROIT.COM. BACK TO YOU.