NC veterans home facing allegations of neglect, questionable conditions: NCDHHS documents

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Last month, military families spoke to ABC11 about the North Carolina State Veterans Home Fayetteville abruptly shutting down in January.

Now it's come to light that the home has faced a series of citations from a state agency ranging from complaints of neglect to allegations of failing to protect residents from sexual abuse.

Care at the facility is reviewed by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS).

NCDHHS details a laundry list of alleged deficiencies in its service going back to April of last year, including citing in publicly available reports: an alleged incident of failing to protect vulnerable residents from physical abuse from another resident, allegedly failing to provide sufficient staff which left needy residents unattended and allegedly failing to protect a resident from being sexually abused by another resident.

Families tell us ABC11 they brought their relatives who served the country to this Fayetteville landmark believing they would be safe.

Bobby Baker says his relative works at the facility.

"To think people are in charge of providing care to people who served in this country, okay? People who fought for our freedom," Baker said.

The DHHS records also say staff failed to update medical records and care plans, complicating medical care and procedures for residents.

Families with relatives at the facility also question the physical conditions inside the building, including sharing photos of what they say shows what it looks like inside the facility's kitchen.

"Behind most of the walls, along the floors, the drainage pipes are messed up, and they have sewage backing up even into the kitchen," Baker said.

ABC11 has not gotten a response from the State Department of Military and Veteran Affairs to our request for comment at the time of reporting.

In a DHHS statement outlining conditions at the facility, Pruitt Health, the provider writes that despite corrective plans it put in place, it is not admitting to the allegations.

Pruitt Health has directed ABC11's questions for our coverage to the Veterans Administration (VA).