Assisted Living Facility Shut Down, Patients Abandoned

Sheriff's deputies removed more than a dozen senior patients from a Northern California assisted living facility in Saturday after it was determined that they had been left "abandoned" there by the owners and staff.

The State Social Services shut down the Castro Valley facility onThursday, but 14 elderly residents were still there more than two days later, Alameda County Sheriff's Office said.

The Sheriff's Office was called Saturday afternoon to the facility on Apricot Street, which appears to be listed variously as Valley Springs Manor, Valley Manor Community Care Home or Valley Manor Residential Care, after a medical call, Sgt. J.D. Nelson said.

Responding paramedics became concerned after they found that most of the staff had left and only a skeleton crew remained, Nelson said.

Authorities said patients at the facility were left with only a cook, a janitor, and a caretaker for two days. The rest of the employees left after the state ordered the facility to be temporarily shutdown.

In addition, the state Department of Social Services had posted a notice on the door stating that the facility was to be closed on Oct. 24th, Nelson said. The sign on the front door read, "NOTICE: CLOSED FOR BUSINESS."

Nelson said the patients were elderly, some bedridden or in wheelchairs.

Read more:

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Castro-Valley-Nursing-Home-Shut-Down-Patients-Abandoned-229414581.html

Update - thanks to an anonymous commentator:

Anonymous01 November, 2013 12:33

Here's some additional information about this sad story:

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Castro-Valley-Janitor-saw-elderly-become-weak-4944795.php#photo-5397928