Nearly 1,000 nursing home workers cut after deadly Hurricane Ida evacuation

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Just under 1,000 nursing home workers employed at seven shuttered facilities across Louisiana are without jobs, records show.

Investigators from the Louisiana Department of Health blame the operator of those facilities, Bob Dean, for leading a deadly storm evacuation to a warehouse in Independence.

It is unclear how many of those workers were actually involved in the evacuation.

SEE THE BREAKDOWN BELOW:

1.) Maison DeVille Nursing Home-Houma - 152

2.) Maison DeVille Nursing Home-Harvey - 94

3.) Maison Orleans Health Care of New Orleans -- 178

4.) Park Place Healthcare in Jefferson Parish - 137

5.) River Palms Nursing & Rehab in Orleans Parish - 158

6.) South Lafourche Nursing & Rehab - 107

7.) West Jefferson Health Care Center - 137

State officials said at least 10 evacuees died. Five of those deaths are being linked to conditions at the warehouse.

But the mass firing may be temporary. Dean is appealing state leaders’ decision to shut down his facilities.

A letter submitted to the state shows Dean’s attorney arguing last-minute changes in Hurricane Ida’s trajectory created staffing shortages and the so-called “cramped” conditions residents reported in Independence.

Dean’s attorney also noted the state’s health department approved the evacuation plans before Hurricane Ida’s arrival.

In addition to losing his licenses to operate, Medicaid provider agreements were cut for Dean’s seven homes. Family members of residents at those homes and several of Dean’s former staffers are suing.

State and federal law enforcement officials are also investigating, after swarming the warehouse in September to pull more than 800 evacuees out.

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RELATED: THE INVESTIGATORS: State yanks licenses of nursing homes under investigation for questionable evacuations

RELATED: THE INVESTIGATORS: 7 dead as nursing home residents evacuated to warehouse during Ida

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