North Charleston police raid Fair Havens Manor assisted living home, charge director with neglect
By Renee dudley
April 13, 2012
The long-serving operator of a North Charleston group home for the elderly and disabled was arrested in a raid of the facility Thursday morning.
The residents, who include hospice and low-income patients, were removed from the home, a measure patient advocates said was unusual and drastic, occurring only when residents are in imminent danger.
Andrea Magwood, 68, faces a charge of neglecting a vulnerable adult in her care at Fair Havens Manor, the eight-room Cosgrove Avenue house licensed as a 20-bed assisted-living home, state records show. It is Magwood’s second arrest in connection with the home.
State officials offered no explanation for why Magwood was allowed to return there following her earlier arrest of charges of abusing and exploiting a 65-year-old woman. They did say that they are tightening oversight of small assisted-living homes similar to Fair Havens Manor.
Magwood might face additional charges stemming from an ongoing investigation of the facility’s operations, according to the North Charleston Police Department. Her bail hearing is scheduled for this morning, spokesman Spencer Pryor said.
The 79-year-old man Magwood is accused of neglecting was “in such poor health that (the complainant) had him transported to the hospital immediately,” according to an incident report. Police were notified of possible neglect on April 5.
The man was severely dehydrated and malnourished. Doctors diagnosed him with a subdural hematoma, a collection of blood on the brain that can result from head injury, the report said.
A state official said Magwood, who has operated group homes for about 35 years, is licensed as a long term health care administrator, although her name does not appear on the S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation website.
Magwood’s license had been suspended following her arrest in 2004. At that time, state officials slapped the facility, then called Genesis Community Care Home, with $8,300 in fines after finding roaches and moldy food in the kitchen, unsupervised disabled residents and a malnourished woman with sores.
LLR spokeswoman Lesia Kudelka said she could not provide details of Magwood’s license history Thursday.
Abridged
SOURCE: The Post and Courier
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