Numerous violations Lead To Closure Of Largest Nursing Home In MT

The Ivy At Great Falls Is Closing

Montana Free Press is reporting that The Ivy at Great Falls will be closing in August 2024. Montana's largest nursing home is being closed due to a litany of patient safety violations for years.  The Ivy at Great Falls was terminated from the federal Medicaid and Medicare programs in July of 2024.

How Extensive Are The Safety Violations At The Ivy At Great Falls?

ProPublica compiled a report of the violations and it's quite stunning. You can click here to see what ProPublica discovered about The Ivy.

The report is pretty disturbing. To date, The Ivy at Great Falls has been fined $235 thousand dollars and had 2 payment suspensions.

How Do Nursing Homes Get Fined And Why?

From ProPublica:

"A nursing home receives a penalty, either a fine or payment suspensions, when it has a serious health citation or fails to fix a citation. Payment suspensions are when the government stops payments to the nursing home until an issue is fixed."

Complaints Waged Against The Ivy In January And March 2024

Keep in mind, this has been going on for YEARS at the Ivy at Great Falls.

ProPublica surmised some of the complaints: cleanliness, safety hazards, understaffing and not informing employees of important information.

Those are bad. For sure.  However, the complaints about the things below, are completely, totally and utterly inexcusable when lives are in your hands.

• Ulcers not being treated
• Neglect and abuse not being reported
• Improper response to reported neglect and abuse
• Failure to supply enough food and water to thrive
• Failure to provide proper respiratory care 
• Failure to implement sufficient infection prevention and control

Shameful.

Patients Are Being Sent To Other Facilities

Currently, displaced Ivy at Great Falls residents are being placed in other senior care centers.

The Ivy At Great Falls' Website Is Still Active

The website makes no mention whatsoever about the facility being forced to closed, or even a mention of it closing.

To date, Montana Free Press reports that the owner of the facility, Ivy Healthcare, the Florida-based parent organization referenced on the Great Falls facility’s website, has not responded to anyone for comment.

The elderly population deserves better.