Skip to content
Business
Link copied to clipboard
Link copied to clipboard

After death, oversight up at nursing home

Cathedral Village, a retirement community in Philadelphia's Andorra section, last month reached what experts called a "unique" agreement with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia to enhance care in its nursing home, especially for Alzheimer's and dementia patients.

Barry Vernick holds onto the canvas of the last painting his wife, Carmella Vernick, painted just days before she died. Carmella Vernick, who was suffering from Parkinson's disease and dementia, died after an 11 day stay at Cathedral Village in late 2008. During the brief stay, she had a severe fall, became dehydrated, and didn't eat. Her husband, Barry Vernick, complained to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, which investigated and concluded that nothing was amiss at Cathedral, which has a strong reputation. But on Nov. 29, the U.S. Department of Justice's "quality of care" unit released a "Joint Agreement" it reached with Cathedral on measure to improve care at the facility. We take a look at what the justice department saw. Wednesday marks four years since Carmella's death. CARMELLA16 12/13/2012 ( MICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer )
Barry Vernick holds onto the canvas of the last painting his wife, Carmella Vernick, painted just days before she died. Carmella Vernick, who was suffering from Parkinson's disease and dementia, died after an 11 day stay at Cathedral Village in late 2008. During the brief stay, she had a severe fall, became dehydrated, and didn't eat. Her husband, Barry Vernick, complained to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, which investigated and concluded that nothing was amiss at Cathedral, which has a strong reputation. But on Nov. 29, the U.S. Department of Justice's "quality of care" unit released a "Joint Agreement" it reached with Cathedral on measure to improve care at the facility. We take a look at what the justice department saw. Wednesday marks four years since Carmella's death. CARMELLA16 12/13/2012 ( MICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer )Read more
    by Harold Brubaker, Inquirer Staff Writer
    Published