KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — A Knoxville assisted living facility has been fined $10,000 for the care of a resident who died in November.
A consent order signed by Prosperity Pointe states that it “failed to provide safety” to the unnamed man, a hospice patient with dementia who was prone to falls.
The center's executive director, Kelly Johnson Majors, said she stood by their care for the man.
"We stand by the belief that we along with Amedysis hospice and the patient’s wife did everything possible to provide the needed care this resident required to maintain his independence and quality of life until his final days," the statement released Friday reads.
The state Health Department investigated after receiving complaints in February of this year, records show.
The 6-foot, 2-inch, 290-pound man became a resident in July 2019. He had "end stage renal disease," the consent order states.
He was under the care of Amedysis Inc. hospice care when he arrived, according to Johnson Majors.
The man was prone to falls. Amedysis ordered and provided him with a bariatric bed with an air mattress, Johnson Majors said.
"The resident was not bed bound," Johnson Majors said. "He spent time in his room as well as in common areas of the community. He ate in the dining room with other residents and attended some activities. He did have dementia and hallucinations, but also had times of day when he was coherent."
Staff checked on him every two hours, according to Johnson Majors and the state. His wife also looked after him there, according to the facility.
In November 2019, records state, the man’s body was found in his room. His head was stuck between the bed rail and the mattress, with his lower body on the floor, records state.
According to documents, photos showed a “visible gap” between the man’s bed rail and the air mattress.
"We, along with Amedysis hospice and his wife, provided excellent care for him. At the time of his death, it appeared he had tried to get out of bed on his own during the night. He was found not breathing on his regularly scheduled next two hour check by staff. Amedysis Hospice was contacted, as protocol, at the time of his death," Johnson Majors' statement reads.
