Owner of nursing homes involved in warehouse evacuation plans to appeal license revocation

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Bob Dean, the owner of seven nursing homes that evacuated more than 800 residents to a warehouse ahead of Hurricane Ida, plans to appeal the state’s decision to revoke the licenses for the facilities, his attorney said Friday.

The licenses for the nursing homes were revoked after the state moved in to relocate more than 800 residents that were being kept in the warehouse during and after Hurricane Ida. Seven residents who were evacuated to the warehouse in Tangipahoa Parish died, several others required attention at area hospitals.

The nursing homes that had licenses revoked by the state include River Palms Nursing and Rehab (Orleans Parish), South Lafourche Nursing and Rehab (Lafourche Parish), Maison Orleans Healthcare Center (Orleans Parish), Park Place Healthcare Nursing Home (Jefferson Parish), West Jefferson Health Care Center (Jefferson Parish), Maison DeVille Nursing Home (Terrebonne Parish), and Maison DeVille Nursing Home of Harvey (Jefferson Parish).

Dean’s attorney, John McLindon of Baton Rouge, said Dean plans to appeal the state’s decision to revoke the licenses for the seven nursing homes.

In revoking the homes’ licenses, the Louisiana Department of Health said the nursing homes “clearly failed to execute their emergency preparedness plans to provide essential care and services to their residents.” Officials inspected the site prior to Ida’s landfall and said “it did appear that from a facility standpoint the minimum necessary components to provide a safe sheltering environment for a very short period of time were met.”

Officials said conditions at the facility, including care for residents, deteriorated following the storm. LDH said when they went on-site on August 31 to investigate reports of the facility’s condition, they were “expelled” from the property.

Those evacuated to the warehouse, and their family members, described to FOX 8 the condition of the warehouse following the storm as ‘nightmare’ conditions and ‘inhumane’ for residents. Those inside described cramped conditions, mattresses on the floor, and even water making it into the building during the storm.

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry announced his office was opening an investigation into the evacuation and housing of residents at the warehouse.

Dean and his nursing homes have been the subject of several lawsuits, including a class-action suit, over the conditions at the warehouse.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

Zurik: Nursing home residents evacuated to warehouse describe ‘nightmare’ conditions

Licenses revoked of nursing homes involved in warehouse shelter evacuation where 7 died

Zurik: Nursing homes claimed they were ready for evacuation, LDH and families disagree

Lawsuit filed over ‘horrific and inhumane’ conditions at nursing home evacuation warehouse where 7 died

Five more residents evacuated to warehouse shelter file suit against nursing homes, owner

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