Nursing home with history of problems once again under microscope after resident dies

Source: WBRZ
By: Chris Nakamoto 

NEW ROADS — A nursing home with a history of problems is once again at the center of controversy after a family alleges their loved one died due to the neglect she endured there.

Brad Guerin said he began documenting problem after problem at Pointe Coupee Healthcare, after visiting his 96-year-old grandmother every day.

"She had several issues," Guerin said. "They were leaving her with vomit covered in her bed. They would drop her food trays. They didn't replace them when they dropped them. They would bring food in and not feed her and even after she had a stroke. They would leave it out of her reach."

Guerin said after being in the facility for a few days, Ruby Guerin developed a large bed sore on her foot, deep into her flesh. Her fingernails looked like she had been playing in the dirt. He even captured videos of flies on her face.

"Every time I met with the administrator, initially, it was 'We are sorry,'" Guerin said. "We are trying to educate our staff. That led to meetings with the director and finally the regional director. Then they said, yeah, we know we have a bad reputation here and said it's a chicken-and-an-egg problem. They told me they don't know how to get a good reputation without good nurses, and don't know how to get good nurses with a bad reputation ... like I'm supposed to answer that problem."

In 2020, the WBRZ Investigative Unit exposed a number of problems at the facility.

The WBRZ Investigative Unit found the facility has a history of problems. According to inspection reports available for public viewing then, Pointe Coupee Healthcare had had 13 recent violations, and the facility was fined in August 2019, $36,000 for failing to timely report suspected abuse and neglect. In 2018, the home was also cited for violating federal standards protecting residents from the spread of infections.

As of June 2023, the number of deficiencies have increased to 35.

Due to the problems, Guerin said he filed complaints with the Louisiana Department of Health, which confirmed its investigating.

"We deserve better for our seniors here, and this place should be shut down," Guerin said. "Hopefully our local leaders will look into this seriously this time ... more seriously than 2020 because three years later nothing has changed."

WBRZ reached out to the facility for a response to this story. We did not hear back.

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Nursing home with history of problems once again under microscope after resident dies