The March 7 incident at Blumenthal Health and Rehabilitation Center was witnessed by a nurse aide at 1:30 PM. Both residents were immediately separated, and Resident #178 was placed on one-on-one supervision pending psychiatric evaluation.
Resident #163, the victim, has advanced dementia and could not be interviewed about what happened to her. Her responsible party told inspectors during a September phone call that she "was not aware of and had no insight into what happened" due to her condition.
The male resident maintained his story throughout multiple interviews. When questioned by staff, Resident #178 insisted "he was shooing a fly away from Resident #163." He repeated this explanation to psychiatric services and continued claiming he "did not touch the female inappropriate and was moving a fly away from the individual."
Both residents received immediate skin assessments with no negative findings. Police were notified along with the physician and responsible parties for both residents.
Resident #178 was evaluated via telehealth the same day as the incident, then seen in person four days later on March 11. The psychiatric practitioner noted his history of "inappropriate verbal statements to staff" but found no previous reports of inappropriate touching of other residents.
Testing revealed Resident #178 had a basic interview of mental status score of 12, indicating moderate cognitive impairment. The practitioner stated she "did not feel the resident had any malicious intent to harm or inappropriately touch anyone."
No medication changes were recommended. Instead, psychotherapy became the primary intervention to work with Resident #178 on "cognitive behaviors on how to handle verbal emotions, motivation interactions." He attended multiple therapy sessions through April 17.
The facility implemented immediate safety measures. Resident #178 remained under hourly checks until cleared by psychiatric services. A nurse aide was assigned specifically to monitor the dining area during meals.
The former administrator submitted an investigation report to the state on March 14, one week after the incident. The report documented witness statements from staff and attempts to interview both residents involved.
When inspectors tried to follow up in September, they encountered gaps in available information. Resident #178's responsible party was contacted but unavailable for interview. The Greensboro police officer who responded to the original call was also unavailable when inspectors reached out.
The psychiatric practitioner told inspectors the therapy appeared effective and that Resident #178 "did not present as threat to other residents" based on her evaluation. However, the inspection narrative cuts off mid-sentence while describing social service notes from the day of the incident.
The incident highlights the vulnerability of residents with advanced dementia in nursing home settings. Resident #163's inability to report what happened or even understand the violation underscores the critical importance of staff vigilance and immediate intervention when inappropriate contact occurs.
Federal regulations require nursing homes to protect residents from abuse and ensure their right to be free from sexual harassment. The facility's response included separation, supervision, psychiatric evaluation, and environmental modifications to prevent similar incidents.
The investigation classified the violation as causing minimal harm with few residents affected. However, for Resident #163 and her family, the impact of unwanted sexual contact in what should be a safe environment cannot be measured solely in regulatory terms.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Blumenthal Health and Rehabilitation Center from 2025-09-13 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
- View all inspection reports for Blumenthal Health and Rehabilitation Center
- Browse all NC nursing home inspections