ALLENTOWN — A Pennsylvania nursing home had its license revoked after a 77-year-old Alzheimer’s patient wandered away from the home and died, according to an ABC 27 report.
The body of Audrey Penn was found in a ditch alongside a road in Lower Macungie Township, near Allentown, almost a month after she was reported missing from Woodland Terrace at the Oaks nursing home.
On Friday, the Department of Human Services revoked the home’s license.
Woodland Terrace issued this statement:
“On Friday, October 6, Woodland Terrace received notification from the state of the intent to revoke the community’s license. Woodland Terrace will continue to work with the state during the appeal process so that it can maintain its healthcare license and provide services for its residents.”
According to the agency, a nursing home staff member noticed Penn wasn’t in her room on August 23, the day she disappeared. But the staffer waiting 90 minutes before alerting a supervisor and starting a search. The report says Penn had a history of trying to leave the home’s secure dementia unit.
The Department of Human Services issued the following statement about the case:
“The safety and well-being of the people we serve are the priority of the Department of Human Services. On Friday, DHS issued the license revocation and non-renewal for Woodland Terrace at the Oaks. The facility was previously on a provisional license issued May 9, 2017 and set to expire November 9, 2017, but in light of recent events and inspections, the department moved to revoke the license.
“The facility has the right to appeal the decision within 10 days, and if they choose to appeal can continue to operate pending that appeal. As of now, we have not received an appeal.”
