INDIANAPOLIS — Federal reports show a low rating and more than $100,000 in recent fines for a south Indianapolis nursing home where a woman died in early February.
13Investigates reviewed state and federal documents which showed Homestead Healthcare Center received multiple citations and several fines before the latest incident.
On Feb. 2, 80-year-old Patricia Newnum was found dead in her room. Police arrested 60-year-old Dwayne Freeman. On Wednesday, he entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
The group sent a statement, which said, “We take the allegations very seriously. The health and safety of our residents is of utmost concern to us and we are cooperating fully with investigators. Given that this is an active investigation, it is our policy not to comment further at this time.”
State documents show Homestead Healthcare Center is owned by Adams County Memorial Hospital. New leadership was put in place in the last six months. A new administrator and director of nursing were put in place in the fall.
Medicare.org shows the center received one out of five stars for its overall nursing home rating. Its quality measures rating was average, with three stars. It also received one star and was deemed “much below average” in the health inspections and staffing categories.
The federal site also shows the nursing home received 25 health citations recently. Compare that to the national average, which is 8.1 citations. The average for Indiana is 9.3 citations.
Homestead Healthcare Center racked up $117,334 in federal fines in 2021. One report showed a patient died after a catheter wasn’t properly monitored.
Turnover for staff was higher than national and state averages. It was the worst for registered nurses with 91.7% turnover.
13Investigates is still researching and trying to determine if the facility could be held negligent in connection to the rape and murder.