Willows Center: Abandoned Dementia Patient at Doctor - WV
The medical power of attorney for Resident 46 told inspectors the facility had transported her relative to appointments multiple times without advance notification. The first incident occurred in October 2024. On January 9, 2025, and again on January 29, 2025, the van driver dropped the resident off without ensuring she was present to meet him.
She called the facility's Director of Nursing directly to complain each time.
Federal inspectors found no record of these grievances in the facility's official grievance log for any of the dates mentioned. The facility's own grievance policy states that the grievance officer will oversee complaints through conclusion, leading investigations and issuing written decisions to patients.
Progress notes confirmed Resident 46 was indeed transported to appointments on both January dates. The notes stated he was transferred "with staff present," but the Corporate Coordinator later acknowledged the resident was actually left at appointments without staff supervision.
The Corporate Coordinator admitted during an October 28 interview that the facility should have notified the resident's medical power of attorney about the appointments. He could not provide a completed grievance form or any documentation showing an investigation had been conducted.
For the January 29 incident, the coordinator produced an employee statement from the van driver dated February 8. The driver claimed he became ill after dropping off Resident 46, notified the facility, and left to go to the local emergency room.
The Corporate Coordinator could provide no information or statements regarding what happened during the January 9 appointment incident.
The facility operates with 91 residents and is required under federal regulations to establish a grievance policy and make prompt efforts to resolve complaints. Residents and their representatives have the right to voice grievances without discrimination or reprisal.
The inspection revealed a pattern of administrative failures. Despite multiple direct complaints to nursing leadership, no formal grievance process was initiated. The facility maintained no documentation of the family's concerns, conducted no investigation into the transportation incidents, and provided no written response to the complainant.
The van driver's illness explanation for January 29 came nearly two weeks after the incident, and only after inspectors began their investigation. No explanation was offered for the January 9 incident where the resident was similarly left unattended.
Federal inspectors classified this as a violation affecting few residents with minimal harm or potential for actual harm. However, the failure to investigate grievances represents a systemic breakdown in the facility's obligation to address family concerns about resident safety and care coordination.
The case highlights broader issues with nursing home accountability when families raise safety concerns. The medical power of attorney made direct contact with facility leadership, yet her complaints disappeared into an administrative void with no formal acknowledgment or resolution.
Willows Center's grievance policy explicitly assigns responsibility to a grievance officer for overseeing complaints and coordinating with state and federal agencies when necessary. The complete absence of any documentation suggests these policies exist on paper but not in practice.
The resident's family member reduced her concerns to the most basic expectation: notification before medical appointments and ensuring someone would be present to receive her relative. When those simple requests went unmet repeatedly, her complaints to facility leadership produced no formal response, investigation, or corrective action.
The Corporate Coordinator's acknowledgment that the facility "should have" notified family and shouldn't have left the resident unattended came only after federal inspectors arrived to investigate the complaint that had been ignored for months.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Willows Center from 2025-10-30 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
WILLOWS CENTER in PARKERSBURG, WV was cited for violations during a health inspection on October 30, 2025.
The first incident occurred in October 2024.
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.