Thirty-four residents of Highland Gardens Assisted Living have been relocated to nine other communities after the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services suspended the Clarkton, NC, facility’s license to operate, reports the Bladen Journal.
Government officials allege that the community did not conduct a criminal background check on a job candidate before hire and did not check another staff member’s listing in the state’s Health Care Personnel Registry before hire. Other alleged violations include not reporting allegations of resident abuse and failure to ensure that duties related to resident rights and the reporting of accidents and incidents were performed.
Highland Gardens has 20 days to appeal the license suspension.
A statement of deficiencies from the community’s annual survey in April, star rating information and a list of penalties for the 60-bed community are posted on the North Carolina Division of Health Service Regulation website.
