Three Batavia Nursing home employees have contacted The Batavian today to report that once again, they're not getting their paychecks as scheduled.
A fourth, unidentified employee, showed up at the facility around 12:30 p.m. and was allegedly drunk and disorderly. Batavia police were called, but did not make an arrest, telling the obviously drunk older gentleman to move along.
A police officer confirmed the man was upset about not getting paid today.
Meanwhile, the home's owner, Marc Korn, was in a Buffalo Federal Court yesterday to answer to fraud charges, but his case was continued because he did not have an attorney. The judge gave him until June 14 to hire an attorney.
Korn, who owns two nursing homes and a house in East Amherst, according to WIVB, may not be able to afford an attorney and may require court-appointed counsel.
Two weeks ago, employees received checks, according to sources, but were told not to cash them until the following Thursday. This past Friday, employees were not paid, according to sources, but received their checks on Wednesday.
State health officials have been unwilling to confirm with The Batavian that the nursing home may be taken over by the state, but WIVB reports that they've been told that is the case.
A spokesman for the health department said the state is dealing with several issues at the facility.
Inset photo, Mark Korn, courtesy WIVB.
So, Mr. Korn doesn't pay his
So, Mr. Korn doesn't pay his employees in a timely fashion, potentially putting the residents in danger (I know many employees are hanging in there and taking care of the residents needs. But for how long can they continue to work and not get paid in a timely fashion or at all, before they have to leave the BNH to find predictable paying jobs?) Because he saw fit to, allegedly, heavily line his own pockets, at the BNH's expense.
Then, Mr. Korn gets an extension for his court appearance because he can't afford an attorney & now the taxpayers will be required to pay for an appointed counsel.... They call it JUSTICE???
Looks like Mr. Korn might have just POPPED both the Taxpayers and the BNH residents for lots of bucks on top of that which he is accused of taking.
Interesting.
There are very few comments
There are very few comments about this. Where are all the people who stood up, with vigor, and spproved the sale of our county home to a private entity?
All still in favor of selling our elderly community's safety net to a private entity, please stand up now.
All who still believe that your taxes will be reduced because an out of town group can better manage a nursing home than the county, please stand up.
All who still believe that your tax money won't be spent on cleaning up the mess left by Korn, please stand up.
It was stated months ago that the only concern a private entity has is the bottom line. Care comes second to those who manage a private home.
I used to go to BNH to conduct a prayer service once a week. One thing that disturbed me was the amount of complaining I heard at the nurses' desk each week. When employees are not happy there is a reason, and it usually means poor management.
This scenario was presented, months ago, when we argued that privatizing the county home wasn't the answer.
There are elderly patients, now in our city, who's future hinges on the good graces of caring unpaid nurses and aides.
Where are the comments?
Bea, this is only one of I
Bea, this is only one of I don't know how many privately owned nursing homes. You can't judge all non-government run homes by the actions of one guy.
I don't have the information
I don't have the information at hand, if I have time the first of next week, I'll do some digging. The instances of private owners bilking their clients is not uncommon. Do you honest believe that was an isolated case in this country?
I'm certain that you will
I'm certain that you will find that this was not an isolated case. When you do your "digging", make sure you dig for all instances of nursing home fraud...public, private and not-for-profit.
People commit crimes, not entities. I don't think the public sector is immune.
I am employed at a privately owned senior community and the care and well-being of our residents is the number one priority.
No, of course I don't think
No, of course I don't think this is the only incidence in the country. I do believe the percentage is small.
JoAnne, Do you work at a
JoAnne,
Do you work at a nursing home? Independent Living? Senior apartments (just rent, no medical or other services)?
The care the patients are receiving isn't the issue. My hat goes off to those in that field.
The public sector may not be immune, but I'm sure that this is not an isolated case from the private sector as Dave implied. As a matter of fact that guy left two homes in the same boat.
JoAnne, you are the only voice from that choir that chanted, "sell the home." to speak up. If you have good management, then you are indeed fortunate.
There are too many horror stories of county nusrsing homes sold to one group, who then turned around and sold to another who were not as closely vetted as the first.
The main concern, should be the continued care those in BNH are receiving. How long will nurses and aides remain if they don't get paid? They have families to support and bills to pay, too.
Too many on this site complain that the elderly are the cause of the high taxes. I'm waiting for the clamor when their tax money is spent to resolve this issue.
"Too many on this site
"Too many on this site complain that the elderly are the cause of the high taxes. "
You know, I don't read every comment, as much as I try, I know one here or there slips through, but I bet I read 99.8 percent of them.
And damn, if I can't remember one person every saying the elderly were the cause of high taxes. Care to back that up, Bea?
Bea, I don't belong to any
Bea, I don't belong to any choir and I never chanted "sell the home". Where do you come up with this stuff?
Leave it to Bea to turn this
Leave it to Bea to turn this into privite nursing homes are no good and only the government knows how to do it..I commend the staff at this nursing home standing in there with no pay and doing the job they are doing..One bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch..This nursing home has been in business for as long as i can remember..I delievered newspapers there over 40 years ago...So they must of been doing something right up until now...You are wrong to get on Joannes case..
The rich get richer....the
The rich get richer....the poor get poorer...
Howard I was repremanded by
Howard I was repremanded by you and Billie for typing the word scumbag in referance to the owner for which I apologized. But I have to agree with Dave Olson that the guy is a dirtbag as stated above.
That got by me.
That got by me.
In the interest of fairness,
In the interest of fairness, I edited the comment referred to by Mr. Marotta. Yes, Howard hell has frozen. I won't apologize however.
Anyway, Bea my mother was living at a privately run assisted living residence for about 3 years, then moved to the nursing home when she needed more acute care, until her passing 2years ago. My sister & wife spent manyhours visiting various nursing homes around the area, both private and government run. They found both bad and good in either category. The facility my Mom was at, both the assisted living and the nursing home have been around for years. I have always heard both good and bad stories about it and still do. Our experiences were all good. Was it perfect? No of course not. nothing is. I have no problem with the Genesee Co Home staying with the County or being sold or being managed by an outside company while being owned by us (taxpayers) whatever works best. I am waiting for the results of the promised study. What's up with that anyway? We can't jump to conclusions without facts.
I have never chanted anything, other than that time in Barcelona........ well never about a nursing home anyway. My point is I reject the notion that if the County sells the home, the same thing will happen.
Almost everything government does can be privatized and run just as well if not better.
Dave, I thought it got a
Dave, I thought it got a little chilly this evening.
Thanks.