FLORENCE, SC (WBTW) – The Department of Health and Environmental Control has started enforcement action against a Florence residential treatment center as it alleges several policy violations.
“DHEC has initiated enforcement action against Palmetto Pee Dee,” Chris Delcamp, with DHEC, said in an email to News13.
DHEC investigation reports obtained by News13 allege that Palmetto Pee Dee Residential Treatment Center didn’t implement policies including:
- staffing ratios policy
- special precautions policy
- resident observation policy
The reports allege that the facility did not have enough staffing during a situation, where a patient exited the building and was reportedly found by police threatening to jump off a railroad track/bridge.
The reports also allege that staff didn’t complete assessments and “special precautions forms” every 24 hours involving a patient place on self-harm precautions.
According to the report, physician’s orders dated October 21, 2018 documented that the resident was placed on precautions with five-minute checks for 72 hours and that a re-assessment form was not completed every 24 hours until the precautions were discontinued.
The reports further allege that on January 15, 2019, a resident was seen on a video camera “being drug down a hallway” by three male staff members. The male staff members then reportedly carried the resident face down by both arms and feet toward an exit door.
“The resident was taken through a side exterior door and outside where the camera system was broken and unable to record,” the reports said. The resident was reportedly seen minutes later walking back up the hallway followed by the three staff members. “The resident facial expression appeared to be that of anger.”
The three staff members were allegedly seen taking another resident down the hallway and out the same door where cameras were reportedly not recording, the reports add. The resident was seen walking down the hall “facing the three male staff members who were following him/her down the hallway.”
Video showed this resident holding their stomach and “grimacing while backing away from the staff member,” according to the report. “This intervention with Resident A and B were not reported by the staff directly involved in the intervention. The physical intervention was not an approved CPI [Crisis Prevention Institute] transport position and appeared to be a form of discipline.”
On February 5, 2019, four staff members are accused of forcibly holding down a resident’s arms and legs to the floor as the resident tried to get up. An administrator allegedly came to assist, and a nurse allegedly gave the resident an injection.
“A physical restraint to the floor was observed and is specifically prohibited,” said the reports.
An incident report dated January 17, 2019 reportedly documented that a clinician went to a unit to see a resident and noticed the resident had scratches on the neck area. The resident reportedly told the clinician that staff grabbed their neck. When an investigator reviewed the video, it was observed that a staff member, after “redirecting” the resident, ran behind the resident and pushed them in to the wall. Minutes later, another staff member was allegedly seen grabbing the resident by their neck and “slinging” them to the floor while the other staff member “stood by and observed.”
DHEC’s reports also allege that staff were not watching patients or monitoring the recreation year.
On December 15, 2018, a resident reportedly ran to an exit door and attempted to enter the building, according to DHEC’s reports. A staff member allegedly would not let the resident enter the building and is accused of grabbing the resident and starting a struggle. The staff member is accused of “lifting the resident from the ground and slamming her/him backward onto the ground twisting the left leg beneath him/her in a bent position.” The staff member then allegedly held the resident to the ground by “pressing both arms to his/her chest area with his/her back to the ground.” The staff member then reportedly released the resident, who “began to hold” their ankle and “began limping on the ankle unable to bear weight on the ankle.”
“According to Staff member’s statement, Resident A complained of pain in his/her ankle following the incident,” said DHEC’s reports. “…Staff member A did not utilize the physical intervention as a last resort. Prior to initiation the restraint, it was observed that the safety of residents and staff were not compromised.”
An incident report dated May 22, 2018 documented that around 6:17 p.m. on May, 21, 2018, nine residents left the facility’s grounds, according to DHEC’s reports. The shift leader and other staff members reportedly searched the perimeter and found one resident and returned them to the facility. The Florence Police Department was immediately notified and help location the other eight residents. The FPD reportedly escorted all resident back to the facility within about 30-40 minutes. Each resident was “assessed and placed on or continued on elopement precautions.” All 9 residents reportedly left a unit during second shift.
There were 14 residents on the unit and three staff members were required per the facility’s policy, the reports add. The report alleges that there was “no sufficient staff on the unit to provide adequate supervision based on the condition of the residents.”
An incident summary dated January 17, 2019 reportedly documented that during a resident council meeting, a resident reported that staff members take kids to areas where there are no cameras and hit them.
During an investigation, eight of 11 residents interviewed from one of the center’s units reportedly identified three staff members that were allegedly seen “taking kids to non-camera areas or have been a victim of being taken to non-camera areas where they reported being hit by staff.”
DHEC’s report also alleges that medication was not dosed in accordance to orders from health care provides and that soiled linen was not kept in covered containers in several rooms.
DHEC’s full report can be read here.
