DAVIDSON COUNTY, N.C. — As the investigation of Pine Ridge Health and Rehabilitation Center continues, one family who says their loved one was found in critical condition on Jan. 16 is speaking out.
Thomasville police did a welfare check at Pine Ridge Health and Rehabilitation Center on Sunday, Jan. 16
Police say they found two people dead and two, including Dana Barker's mother, in critical condition during the welfare check
Police found three employees caring for 98 patients
In a statement, representatives of Pine Ridge say the deaths were “medically unrelated” to staffing issues caused by the storm
Dana Barker’s mother, Shirley Smith, was hospitalized with pneumonia in late 2021. After taking care of her for some time as she developed dementia, Smith’s family could no longer assist Smith on their own. She became a fall risk, and they began to seek out nursing home facilities for her.
“She had to end up being in a nursing home, something we did not want to have to do. And it broke our heart, because we had to do that,” Barker said.
Barker says her family reluctantly settled on Pine Ridge Health and Rehabilitation Center in Thomasville, as it was the only facility that was available locally. Smith arrived at Pine Ridge on Dec. 5, 2021. Barker says it wasn’t long before her mother was back in the hospital.
“She was only there for a little while, then she had to end up going back to the hospital, ended up with septic double pneumonia again and with third-degree wounds, again. And wasn’t taken very good care of then,” Barker said.
Barker and her daughter, Karie Sams, say they believe Smith wasn’t properly cared for at Pine Ridge. Barker says during a visit on Saturday, Jan. 15, she noticed her mother had a hard time breathing. Barker says she asked Pine Ridge nurses to assess her mother, suspecting she developed pneumonia again.
“She was on oxygen, and she [the nurse] turned her oxygen level up and she said ‘she’s fine’, and I knew she wasn’t,” Barker said.
Barker says she urged nurses to have her mother taken to the emergency room Saturday night. Sunday, Barker could not return to the facility to visit her mother due to the winter weather. Sunday night, Barker received an unexpected call from the emergency room. Barker says an officer found Smith during a welfare check conducted on Sunday, Jan. 16.
“That’s when I got the call that she was in the ER. Her oxygen level was 30, and they had to intubate her. I didn’t think she was going to make it,” Barker said.
Thomasville police say they conducted the welfare check at Pine Ridge Jan. 16, and reported three employees caring for 98 residents.
A statement from Pine Ridge says “hazardous road conditions” and the spread of COVID were the cause of staffing shortages.
Thomasville police say they also found two people dead and two people in critical condition. Barker says her mother was one of those found in critical condition by police.
A statement by Pine Ridge says the families of residents who died were notified at the time of death. It also says the deaths were “medically unrelated” to any staffing issues caused by the storm.
“With these types of facilities, there is a protocol and we want to ensure it was followed as it relates to the weather and/or emergency situations,” Captain Brad Saintsing with Thomasville police in a statement released in January. The Spectrum News 1 team reached out to both Thomasville police and the owners of Pine Ridge for further comment. Both have declined at this time.
Barker says Smith is now out of the hospital and has been placed in another nursing home, but her and her family still have concerns for her care.
“I don’t wish anyone to go into those types of facilities, but if it’s the only place they can go, just do your due diligence,” Karie Sams, Smith’s granddaughter, said.
North Carolina has an ombudsman service run by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The ombudsman service provides advocacy for patients and their families as they are navigating grievances with long-term care and nursing home facilities.
The ombudsman service is a free service, federally and state funded. Leaders with the ombudsman service in Guilford County say it’s important for families to document details of what their loved one is experiencing.
Families can file complaints by phone, email or fax. For more information on the ombudsman service, click here.
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