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Pa. Dept. Of Welfare Monitors Local Care Home

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May 31, 2009 7:55 pm US/Eastern

Pa. Dept. Of Welfare Monitors Local Care Home

HAMPTON TOWNSHIP (KDKA) ― It has been a difficult weekend for the residents of a troubled personal care home.

The Bonvenue Personal Care Home, located in Hampton Township, is having financial problems.

The Pennsylvania State Department of Welfare confirms that they are in the process of revoking the facility's license.

However, the state says it has no authority over the transfer of residents.

"We can't make that determination for the family. That is something that each family has to decide for their own unique set of circumstances," said Stacey Witalec, the spokesperson for the department. "However, we are highly or tightly monitoring the facility, given the financial concerns, as well as the concerns we've had on reports there have been inadequate supplies of food as well as inadequate staffing, at times."

Officials say that a series of state inspections discovered numerous problems, including allegations of fraud against owner Scott Gordon, of Beaver.

"One of the main reasons was the charges that were brought against the owner," added Witalec. "We had to place a ban or a probe against him actually being able to access the facility, given that there is allegations he stole some money from the residents."

Other violations include inadequate food supplies, which could result in daily fines; utilities turned off for failure to pay bills; plus reports from staff that their payroll checks were not clearing with the bank.

Dozens of family members were packing their love ones' belongings at the care home on Saturday.

"I came… to visit my father and they told me when I walked in, I needed to find a new place for him because the state was going to come bus everybody out of here to a state-run facility," said Mike Simon.

"The staff has been wonderful, but in the last month, none of them has been paid," said Brian Baxter, whose brother has been living in the facility for 12 years. "And as you probably know, the owner was accused of some financial improprieties, so everybody's moving out."

The patient count at Bonvenue was at 64 before the weekend, but that number was dramatically reduced over this weekend.

In the meantime, the facility is appealing the action to revoke its license and that means that it will stay open until the process is completed.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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