West Texas Nursing Home Staff Walks Out over Personnel Shortage

Local media outlet reports indicate the employees of a West Texas nursing home walked out and left residents without proper levels of care following complaints of staffing shortages over the past weekend.

Concerned family members called the Littlefield, Texas, Police Department requesting a welfare check on residents of the Arbor Crace Wellness Center. The caller complained there was no staff available to take care of their relative, Everything Lubbock reported.

Police and an EMS unit arrived at the nursing home where a volunteer doctor explained there “was an apparent walk-out of employees.” He said there was one certified nurse’s assistant who worked through the night and did not leave her post.

Police entered the facility to investigate and found three residents in wheelchairs near the front station. They noted no signs of mistreatment, according to the regional news outlet.

Most of the workers who remained to care for the residents did not have the qualifications to provide necessary tasks, KCBD NBC11 reported. A dietitian told police the residents would be fed and the rooms would be cleaned at the “very best.”

Everything Lubbock reported that the Texas Office of the Attorney General “expressed a desire to look at the case and take a primary investigation role in the case.” Littlefield police officers are assisting in the investigation.

Texas Department of Health and Human Services issued the following statement:

Our top priority is the health and safety of the people in long-term care facilities we regulate.

We have received allegations about staffing issues at this facility, and we are actively investigating to assess the facility’s compliance with all relevant state rules and requirements.

Once our investigation work is complete, the final report for the investigation will be available to request through our open records process.

The volunteer doctor said he reached out to the management of the facility to attempt to have workers return.