Aging, Mental Health Professionals Attend USCOG Ombudsman Workshop

The investigation process of abuse, neglect and exploitation of vulnerable adults was the lead topic at the Long Term Care Ombudsman Workshop Wednesday hosted by the Upper Savannah Regional Long Term Care Ombudsman Program.

The Workshop was held at the Greenwood Genetic Center. Attendees consisted of staff from nursing homes, community residential care facilities (assisted living), and DDSN facilities in the Upper Savannah Region.

Upper Savannah Regional Long Term Care Ombudsman Ericca Livingston and Long Term Care Ombudsman Ashley Capps conducted the workshop with assistance from Upper Savannah Area Agency on Aging staff.

Attendees received an overview of the services of the Upper Savannah Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC/AAA), the Upper Savannah Regional Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, and were provided presentations by Lieutenant Sabrina Fellers of the Vulnerable Adults Investigations Unit (VAIU) of SC SLED;  Ann Dalton, DDSN Director of Quality Management; Miles Rawl, Outreach Coordinator of the Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud Unit (VAMPF) of the SC Attorney General’s Office; John Frampton, Chief Investigator of the VAMP Unit; and DeMorrie Evans, Transitions Program Coordinator of the SC Department of Mental Health (DMH).

One of the main takeaways from the event was the importance of timely reporting of alleged or suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of vulnerable adults to the appropriate entities. Appropriate entities include the Ombudsman’s office, SC SLED VAIU, VAMPF of the SC Attorney General’s Office, or in case of emergency local law enforcement.

“The SC Omnibus Adult Protection Act is the law in South Carolina for the reporting of alleged or suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of our vulnerable adults”, Livingston said. “It’s good for facilities to have training on it so they have a full understanding of the appropriate entities to contact. Failure to report can potentially result in criminal penalties and prison time.”

“Residents of long term care facilities have rights. One is the right to be free from abuse, neglect, and exploitation,” Livingston said.

Livingston was pleased with the information presented. Capps echoed her sentiments.

“I am pleased with the conference because I feel that it improved the efficiency of the investigation process,” Capps said. “It raised awareness of the needs and issues related to case investigations, quality of care, resident rights, and the reporting of abuse, neglect, and exploitation in order to improve the quality of care and life of residents who reside in DDSN operated facilities and residences.”

Fellers said abuse, neglect and exploitation can come in many forms such as moving somebody’s walker so they cannot get out of their recliner, chemically restraining them (with medicines perhaps to make them sleep) to make your job easier, not providing clean clothes and/or bed sheets, etc., and certainly the all-too-common stealing of their pain medicine including fentanyl for personal use.

If these or other forms of abuse, neglect and exploitation are observed, “call and report it. Let us know,” Fellers said.

Rawl and Frampton also discussed forms of abuse, neglect and exploitation, citing some examples that occurred in South Carolina. One care provider spent a vulnerable adults life savings of approximately $310,000 for extravagant personal use. One was posting pictures of vulnerable adults on social media. Two others were stealing pain patches for their personal use. Another left his senior care facility unattended for extended periods of time and generally neglected the facility as a whole, leaving it filthy and unsafe.

“It was worse than any dog pound you could find anywhere in the state,” Frampton said.

All of these and similar incidents are investigated, prosecuted when appropriate, with some resulting in prison time.