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Jefferson Lodge Inspections Continue
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FULTON - The Jefferson Lodge facility in Fulton cares for 94 mentally disabled residents, but the state stripped it of its operating license.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said the facility repeatedly failed to correct problems with the administration of medicines. 

A nurse who worked at jefferson Lodge for only seven days and was appalled with what she saw. She didn't want us to reveal her identity, but she did reveal what she saw.

"The residents inject themselves with their own insulin they help themselves to the med cart," said an anonymous nurse. "I witnessed that. the transfer of medications, pre-popping medications. That's all illegal."

That nurse's description is consistent with state reports on the home's failure to monitor patient medicines. Carlos Pitts was at the home to remove residents who had been under care there.

"Last week I moved several people and I'm lined up to move several more because I have a truck," said community support worker Carlos Pitts.

But the home's consultant hired to fix the problems says the residents shouldn't move out.

"Some of these people have been here for 15 years," said nurse consultant Faye Bourisaw. "This is their home and they are ripped out of it."

Pitts says the home's mentally disabled consumers don't have a choice.

"This is pure the instructions of guardians or public administrators, said Pitts. 

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services performed its first inspection on the Jefferson lodge on January 23. Since then, its had five different unannounced inspections and every time the jefferson Lodge has failed to correct the deficiencies pointed out in the previous visit.

The state will officially pull the license at the end of this month. But Bourisaw is confident they won't shut down.

"Those deficiencies were corrected and we have programs in place so they stay that way, said Bourisaw. 

"I hope this situation can be salvaged because this has been a valuable resource in the community of Fulton," said Pitts. 

They need to shut it down. Somebody is going to get hurt," said the anonymous nurse.

The Jefferson Lodge is formally appealing the action. The department of health will decide whether to go ahead with the revocation at a hearing Tuesday.

Reported by: Erika Navarrete
Posted by: Suekyoung Kim

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