Gallatin nursing home accused of abandoning resident in hospital lobby

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    GALLATIN, TN (WSMV) — In the latest criticism of a Gallatin nursing home where 23 residents have died from COVID-19, a family tells News4 Investigates that the center’s plan for combatting the virus resulted in their loved one essentially being abandoned in a hospital lobby.

Cathy Owens said she always drives her husband Scott, who lost his short term memory, his ability to walk and feed himself after a stroke, to his doctor’s appointments at Skyline Medical Center from the Gallatin Center for Rehabilitation and Healing.

Owens said she also communicates with his doctor.

But since the center was ravaged by COVID-19, Owens said she was told by administrators that due to new virus safeguards, she could not only not take Scott, but could not attend the appointment.

“They told me it was against their COVID-19 rules,” Owens said.

Owens said the center’s plan was for a transport service to take him to the doctor’s appointment.

Owens was horrified to receive a call from a security guard’s cell phone, in which she could barely understand her husband.

Owens said Scott was taken to the lobby of the hospital and dropped off.

“He went into the lobby and sat there. He didn’t know who he was there for, who he was supposed to be seeing,” Owens said.

Owens said her husband’s long-term memory allowed him to remember her phone number, and was approached by a security guard who asked him if he was okay.

“Nobody thought that he couldn’t communicate, and he has short term memory loss,” Owens said.

A statement sent to News4 Investigates from a center administrator reads “The Gallatin Center is looking into this particular situation. Above all, we are committed to ensuring the safety of our residents, families, and staff.”

Owens now wants to remove Scott from the facility, and received an apology from the center and was granted permission to go with him to his next appointment.

“(The center worker) was giving me permission to meet him at his next appointment. I told her that I appreciated her permission, but I was going to meet him at his next appointment regardless of what they had to say,” Owens said.

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