FINDLAY, Ohio — Fox Run Assisted Living owner Nick McDevitt said the Ohio Department of Health served the facility with an injunction to cease operations effective at 10:00 a.m. on Friday. McDevitt said it needs a judge to sign off.
Fox Run Assisted Living has served the Findlay community since 1995. Owners Nick and Whitney McDevitt bought the facility in 2017 with the goal of supporting and helping the residents who relied on them and their staff each day.
Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. McDevitt said Fox Run Assisted Living, like many businesses, was hit hard.
"Christmas, 2021 is when everything started," McDevitt said, "We had a couple of four-hour periods where there were no nurses on site. As such, we self-reported."
McDevitt said he and his wife were exposed to COVID-19. They couldn't work during that time and, ultimately, got sick.
"The reason the nurses weren't here, the nursing staff walked out," McDevitt said. It was COVID. They were working long hours. We didn't have enough nurses. They were stretched thin."
After that, McDevitt said ODH sent representatives in to monitor the facility. They checked on the residents and monitored their care.
"Throughout the period we were working on a plan of correction," McDevitt said. "Eventually we got to the point where we had an approved plan of correction."
The state then issued a complaint. That led to the facility losing its license to accept Medicaid and several residents having to move out, McDevitt said.
McDevitt said the state of Ohio issued a plan to support nursing homes and assisted living facilities two weeks later. But it was too late for Fox Run Assisted Living.
“The owner has made some mistakes. He has never left us go without,” resident Donnie Trumpy said,
McDevitt said the pandemic took a financial toll.
“We’ve been struggling to pay our bills," he said. "We’ve been paying the essentials only. We’re kind of on payment plans. We don’t have revenue. We were down to three residents for three months. We’re at 13 right now. That’s not enough to run this place.”
That's why McDevitt said the facility doesn't have power or water in the common areas. But, residents said they have utilities in their private rooms. However, as of Thursday, the letter from the ODH indicates that's not enough and residents will have to find a new place to live.
“What went from eight to 10 weeks became, since [5 p.m. Thursday], we have to be out by [10 a.m. Friday]," Trumpy said. "There are residents here 94 years old, we have no place to go.”
“How can we find a place to live in less than 24 hours? That’s humanly impossible. Please, Findlay, Ohio, help us."
Kim Debouver's mother, Carolyn Amrine, also lives at Fox Run Assisted Living. She said her mother is happy in her home.
“She loves it. Every last resident here absolutely loves it here. They don’t want to leave," Debouver said. "We also know the owner is doing everything in his power to do the right thing."
Debouver said, like Trumpy, moving her mother out on such short notice is impossible.
“Now they’re getting told they have to be out by [10 a.m. Friday]. That’s crazy. Who can do that? What elderly person can do that?" Debouver said. "They cannot. It’s impossible. I know I can’t get my mom out of here in that many short hours.”
As of Thursday evening, McDevitt is uncertain of the facility's future.
"Last night we had a great meeting with the residents. I've been working on a plan to basically step aside and let another state-approved operator come in and just take over the facility," McDevitt said.
“We want to do whatever we can to keep the residents in their homes.”
Nathan Takitch, the chief communications officer with the Ohio Department of Aging wrote the following response to an email inquiry by WTOL 11 Thursday night:
"The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) sent a surveyor out to the site today (Thursday) and continues to assess the situation. Representatives of the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman – which operates within the Ohio Department of Aging (ODA) advocating for the rights of consumers of long-term care throughout Ohio – will be on-hand tomorrow (Friday) to assist residents and attempt to find transfer locations."
In a request for comment, ODH responded to WTOL 11 Friday afternoon with the following statement:
"The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has been monitoring Fox Run Assisted Living for the past year for lack of performance and fiscal responsibility.
As a result of the facility’s power being shut off yesterday, ODH sent a surveyor out to the site to ensure the safety of residents and assess the situation. Power is being temporarily restored in an effort to help facilitate the safe transfer of residents.
Based on legal proceedings today, Fox Run is no longer a licensed operating facility.
ODH is sending in a transition team to help assist with the transition of residents. Representatives of the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman – which operates within the Ohio Department of Aging (ODA) advocating for the rights of consumers of long-term care throughout Ohio – are on-hand to assist residents and attempt to find transfer locations that meet their needs and levels of care."