SALISBURY, N.C. — The Citadel Salisbury is back in the hot seat. The company is a nursing home and rehabilitation center. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the organization is ending its agreement with The Citadel Salisbury. CMS said it's terminating the agreement for "failure to meet Medicare's basic health and safety requirements."
According to the letter by CMS, Citadel Salisbury will lose support from Medicare and Medicaid on May 19. There is a 30-day grace period built in. If someone inside the facility is going through treatment while benefiting from the government, the absolute last date will be June 17.
In a 169-page report from the Department of Health and Human Services, DHHS detailed infractions made inside by staff. Some examples included alleged sexual assault.
"Based on observations, the facility failed to protect a resident's right to be free from abuse when another resident offered that resident money in favor of intimate activities," the report reads.
Other examples included improper staffing issues to provide care.
A nurse aide went on record with the department, saying staffing was "horrible," and that she "could not provide showers, baths, or assist residents out of bed when they asked if there were not enough NAs working."
Another example had to with abuse by staff on residents. One example said a nurse aide "became too rough while providing resident care by scratching his right wrist and covered his mouth with her hand."
One woman, who didn't want to be identified, told WCNC Charlotte she has a loved one inside Citadel Salisbury. She said after hearing those examples, she was left speechless.
“I didn’t know that," the woman said. "I’ll need to review, I’ll need to look at that. That’s what I’ll need to do. That would not be good if she shared that with me or any other family member.”
WCNC Charlotte reached out to the Citadel on May 5. The first time WCNC Charlotte made contact, the facility hung up on WCNC Charlotte's Austin Walker. After that, Walker called again and passed his information along.
WCNC Charlotte showed up in person but no one was available. One staff member told WCNC Charlotte things were rough but they had seen major improvements in the past month.
Meanwhile, Olivia Smith, an attorney who has sought action against Citadel Salisbury said since February 2020, said concerns over patient care have only escalated. Smith said she filed a class action lawsuit alleging the companies cost cutting business model led to chronic understaffing and decreased quality of care.
The employee added he believed the facility will appeal the termination.
Contact Austin Walker at awalker@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.