ZANESVILLE, Ohio (Legal Newsline) -- Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Theodore Wymyslo announced Thursday that they are attempting to close a Zanesville-based nursing home.
DeWine's office alleges that Autumn Healthcare engaged in multiple acts of patient neglect and ongoing patterns of substandard care. The nursing home will have its license terminated in 60 days, the attorney general said.
"In January, I reached out to the Ohio Department of Health to come up with a plan on how we could work together to aggressively go after nursing homes whose employees are providing inadequate care," DeWine said in a statement.
"It is important to point out that there are many good nursing homes in Ohio that provide excellent care. We are putting those that don't on notice that we are not afraid to take action."
DeWine's office alleges that Autumn Healthcare staff members failed to provide proper nutritional, medical and personal care to at least one patient and then falsified documents to make it seem as though proper treatment was being provided.
The ODH alleges that the nursing home violated standards of infection control, food and nutrition, treatment and care and resident rights.
Autumn Healthcare was previously on the the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Special Focus Facilities list for the last 53 months for having a history of serious quality problems.
The ODH recommended that CMS stop providing Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement to the facility.
Relocation teams from ODH and the Ohio Department of Aging will help current Autumn Healthcare patients and their families with the relocation process and to make sure proper care is provided prior to the facility's closing.
DeWine said his office's criminal inquiry into the alleged patient neglect at the nursing home is ongoing.