Norton nursing home removed from Medicare program following damning COVID-19 report

Oct. 29--Staff at the Andbe Home in Norton, where at least 10 residents have died from COVID-19, did not wear masks and failed to properly isolate positive patients, an inspection found.

The findings led to the facility's termination from the Medicare program, according to an October 26 letter from the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services.

On October 5, two residents began showing symptoms, including fevers. They also took antigen tests that returned positive results.

"The facility failed to quarantine the two positive residents and continued to cohort COVID-19 positive residents with COVID-19 negative residents," the inspection report said. "The facility failed to stop communal dining or place all residents on quarantine until 10/07/20, two days after the initial positive results. The facility failed to test all of the residents in the facility until 10/12/20."

The virus spread rapidly throughout the home, infecting all 62 of its residents. The facility was listed Thursday as a cluster site associated with 94 cases by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

The nursing home did not enact its COVID-19 response plan which would have moved positive residents to a special care unit for isolation, according to the inspection conducted by Medicare and the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services.

On October 17, a surveyor observed that six employees had their masks removed. Another staff member had their mask pulled down around their chin in a patient's room and was not social distancing, according to the report.

By that date, six residents had already died.

An interview conducted by a surveyor found one resident who said he did not wear a mask and staff had never offered him one. The resident's wife had recently tested positive for the virus and died at a hospital.

The inspection came as a result of a complaint where residents could be in "immediate jeopardy."

It was not the first such complaint at the facility this year.

In May, they were issued an "immediate jeopardy" infection control citation. The home was fined $14,860 in civil penalties. A July survey found the issue had been corrected.

Earlier this week, Medicare sent a letter to the home saying it no longer meets requirements for a skilled nursing program and its Medicare participation was being revoked.

A temporary administrator was assigned to the facility on Wednesday.

The termination becomes effective November 18.

With 571 cases, Norton County has the highest case rate per 1,000 of Kansas' 105 counties, according to KDHE.

Norton County spokesman Robert Wyatt and the Norton County Health Department referred questions to Gov. Laura Kelly's office, which has not responded to a request for comment.

A message left at the Andbe Home has not been returned.

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