Lexington Health Care: Staff Tried Living in Resident Home - NC
The incident at Lexington Health Care Center involved a recently widowed resident whose wife had died. The nursing assistant, identified only as NA #1 in inspection records, had told the resident she would have nowhere to live at the first of the month.
The resident initially gave NA #1 permission to stay at his personal house. But he grew concerned after learning about her boyfriend and withdrew his consent.
That didn't stop the nursing assistant from trying to enter the house anyway.
The resident's family member and neighbor came to the facility to report that NA #1 had attempted to obtain a key to the resident's personal house. The facility matched text messages on the resident's cellular phone to NA #1's phone number, confirming her identity.
Law enforcement was contacted about the incident. However, when inspectors interviewed the officer whose name appeared on the initial allegation report, he stated he was unable to recall responding to the call or any circumstances regarding the allegation. He did not complete a report and could not review notes that may have been written on the call sheet from the 911 call center.
Inspectors requested a copy of the law enforcement call sheet related to the allegation. The facility never provided it.
The former administrator explained she wasn't aware of conversations between the resident and nursing assistant until the family member and neighbor reported the key incident. She learned the resident felt sorry for NA #1 when he discovered her housing predicament.
"She explained Resident #1's wife had recently died, and she learned from Resident #1 that he felt sorry for NA #1 when he learned from NA #1 that she would have nowhere to live at the first of the month," according to the inspection report.
The administrator said the resident admitted giving NA #1 permission to stay at his house. When he learned about her boyfriend, he became concerned and changed his mind.
The Director of Nursing told inspectors that NA #1 was suspended during the investigation, then terminated for attendance issues. She stated NA #1 did not work after the facility became aware of the allegation.
The DON also said employees cannot access goods or property from residents, and that NA #1 could not stay or live in the resident's personal house.
Initially, the facility did not substantiate the allegation for misappropriation of property and resident abuse. The former administrator's reasoning was that the resident was not harmed and NA #1 did not actually access his personal house or obtain any of his property.
The administrator also stated she had not considered exploitation because NA #1 had not benefited from the situation.
But during the inspection interview, the former administrator acknowledged she should have handled the case differently.
"She indicated looking back, she should have substantiated the allegation for exploitation because after NA #1 discussed staying/living at Resident #1's personal house with Resident #1, she attempted to enter Resident #1's personal house without the resident being present," the inspection report states.
This admission revealed a critical gap in the facility's initial investigation. The nursing assistant had crossed a clear line by trying to access the resident's property after he withdrew permission, yet the facility's original conclusion missed this violation entirely.
When inspectors interviewed the current administrator, Regional Clinical Consultant and Director of Nursing, they confirmed the facility had not completed a plan of correction for misappropriation of property or exploitation.
The case highlights the vulnerability of grieving residents to manipulation by staff members. The resident, dealing with his wife's recent death, became a target when the nursing assistant shared her housing troubles with him.
The timing was particularly troubling. The nursing assistant approached a man processing the loss of his spouse, someone in an emotionally vulnerable state who might be more susceptible to requests for help.
Federal regulations prohibit nursing home staff from accepting gifts, money, or other benefits from residents. The rules also require facilities to protect residents from exploitation and investigate allegations promptly and thoroughly.
The facility's initial failure to recognize the situation as exploitation demonstrates a concerning blind spot in protecting residents' rights and property. Even though the nursing assistant never gained entry to the house, her attempt to obtain keys from neighbors after the resident withdrew consent constituted a clear violation.
The involvement of the resident's neighbor in reporting the incident suggests community members recognized the inappropriate nature of the nursing assistant's actions, even when facility leadership initially did not.
The incomplete law enforcement documentation adds another layer of concern. Without proper police reports or call sheets, there's no independent record of what transpired or what steps authorities took to investigate.
The facility's delayed recognition of the exploitation allegation only came during the federal inspection process, months after the incident occurred. This suggests the original internal investigation was inadequate and failed to protect the resident's interests.
The terminated nursing assistant's attempt to access the resident's home without his presence represented a violation of trust that could have had serious consequences. Residents must be able to trust that staff members will not take advantage of their personal information, emotional state, or physical property.
For this widowed resident, what began as an act of kindness toward a staff member in need became an exploitation attempt that required family intervention to stop.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Lexington Health Care Center from 2025-09-02 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
Data source: Official federal inspection data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Editorial process: AI-synthesized regulatory data, reviewed for accuracy by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: June 20, 2026 · Our methodology
Lexington Health Care Center in Lexington, NC was cited for violations during a health inspection on September 2, 2025.
The incident at Lexington Health Care Center involved a recently widowed resident whose wife had died.
Health inspections identify deficiencies that facilities must correct. Violations range from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the full report below for specific details and facility response.