Carol Lennox Obituary, Death – Waterview Heights replaces Shore Winds. The family believes the nursing home has staffing concerns. Their mother’s pills went unfilled for days. Carol Lennox, 85, was healthy two months ago. Her relatives uploaded a video of her wheelchair wedding dance. Happy and vibrant, said Lennox’s daughters. The couple lived alone. October brought a COVID diagnosis. Lennox had pneumonia. In November, physicians said she needed full-time nursing home care. Only Waterview Heights, originally The Shore Winds, had space. Kathy Slocum, Lennox’s daughter, said her doctor urged her not to come. One bed.
Visitors were startled to see their mother in a filthy bed. Slocum said, “The visits got worse, and on Nov. 20, she was nasty.” Her mother had trouble breathing, so she called a nurse. She claims the CNA told her, “We don’t have a nurse on weekends,” in reference to nursing home staffing rules. CNAs work 2.2 hours, nurses 1.1. Only nurses can give medication in New York. Were her medicines taken? Slocum interrogated CNA. “He says, “I can’t medicate her.” CNA: She didn’t take her morning medication? No, he’s been here since 6:30 and nobody has meds. Nobody.”
Relatives calling an ambulance crowded her hospital room for days. While in the hospital, she added, “This means more than a million bucks.” Lennox loved meeting her great-grandchild. The 10-child, 28-grandchild, 10-great-grandchild family said goodbye six days later. Carol Ann Lenox’s daughters will bury her.
Daughter Patty Lennox called her “our rock.” Thursday is Lennox’s wake; Friday is her funeral. Her family wanted to talk to me because they’re worried about other Waterview Heights residents. The NY State Department of Health is investigating a Waterview Heights complaint but won’t say if it involves this family. I spoke with Grand Healthcare System VP Bruce Gendron about the nursing home. “No nurse?” he exclaimed. He added that’s against nursing home policy. Waterview Heights’ managers are investigating, he said.