SAN ANTONIO — The rush to re-locate is on at a northeast-side assisted living facility.
Time is not on the side of more than 100 residents who are being forced to move immediately.
While the parking lot at Camino Real Assisted Living Facility on Rio D’Oro was jammed with cars, trucks and moving vans Thursday, some of the people talking about the sudden ouster were in tears.
Others expressed anger at the way the Texas Health and Human Services division is handling an enforcement action after an inspection revealed health and safety violations.
Choking back tears, Sandi Worley said having to find an emergency placement for her son was stressful.
“It's not fair to people. They're not even treating the people right,” Worley said. A man in a rush to move his sister said, “It’s bad that there were no prior warnings or letters of what the state was going to be doing or anything.”
Watching as family members and friends hauled years of memories out the door, Worley said, “Everybody has to be out of here by today, and I said, 'Shame on the state.' And I mean it.”
Several family members said the sudden rush to close Camino Real is cruel. They want to know after a long period of neglect why there wasn’t a more orderly plan to help people move.
One man said, “A lot of these people here don't have the capability to understand what is actually happening.”
Worley added, “The mentally ill and the disabled and the poor people are treated like crap to be honest.” In a phone interview, one woman who has already moved to a new place to live said the problems weren't over when she left the facility. She said all of her possessions, including clothes, shoes, bedding and furniture, had to be steamed cleaned to get rid of bugs that infested her belongings.
While state investigators say they can't comment while their investigation continues, one spokeswoman did say they do have a team on site, and they are doing what they can to help people find new homes.
Just before close of business, the HHS Office of Communications sent KENS 5 the following statement:
I wanted to provide an update about the closure of the Camino Real Senior Assisted Living Facility.
HHSC does not take lightly any decision to close a facility and does so only in situations that pose an immediate risk to resident health and safety.
Since the start of this closure, HHSC has had staff on site to assist residents in finding an alternative setting of their choice that fully meets their health and safety needs. That includes 15 to 20 regulatory staff – made up of nurses, social workers, pharmacists, and dieticians – as well as HHSC ombudsmen advocates who ensure residents’ rights are respected. Staff members have been working together to help residents with packing, moving items and cleaning.
Medicaid managed care organizations also have had about 30 staff on site who are helping to ensure there is a smooth transition for each resident’s Medicaid services and benefits, and to make sure they have their necessary medications and medical equipment (i.e. walkers, wheelchairs, etc.) at their new home.
As of 2 this afternoon, approximately 40 residents remained at the facility. All but one of them had found an alternative placement and were in various stages of the moving process. These numbers are changing quickly, and HHSC staff will continue to stay on site until this process is completed. We do not have a deadline for the relocation of residents.
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