LIBERTY — The Sullivan County Adult Care Center, also known as the Care Center at Sunset Lake, is not currently accepting new admissions, but county officials have not explained why.
Multiple people seeking placement for family members told the Democrat they were informed the county-owned nursing facility was not accepting new residents. County officials have not disputed that admissions are paused but have declined to provide a reason.
County Manager Dan Hust disputed a claim that the admissions pause was due to failed inspections but did not answer questions about why admissions have been halted.
The most recent publicly available complaint inspection by state and federal regulators, completed Feb. 2, cited three deficiencies at the facility, including failures to timely report injuries of unknown origin, adequately investigate those injuries and provide adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
According to the inspection report, one resident was found with a significant bruise on a hip and was later diagnosed with a fractured hip. Inspectors found there was "no indication of how this occurred, no facility investigation, and no report to the New York State Department of Health."
A second resident was found with a large bruise on a leg and was later diagnosed with fractures of the tibia and fibula. Inspectors concluded the facility failed to adequately investigate how the injury occurred and failed to timely report it to the state.
The inspection classified the deficiencies as involving actual harm but stated they did not rise to the level of "Immediate Jeopardy."
It is unclear whether the February inspection is related to the current admissions pause. The Democrat has submitted additional questions to county officials and has sent Freedom of Information Law requests with both Sullivan County and the New York State Department of Health seeking records related to the facility's admissions status and any subsequent regulatory actions.