North Raleigh Today

A surprise health inspection has resulted in an order that the Westwood Health and Rehabilitation facility in Archdale isn't allowed to take any new patients.

That edict is too little too late for some who have wondered about the facility's quality of care for a while.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services issued the order because its inspection found unsafe conditions that could affect the health and safety of patients. 

“I was relieved,” Ricky Combs told Fox 8 News. “I would much rather have heard them say they shut the place down (and) they transported all the patients to other places, where hopefully they get better care.” 

Combs’ view is influenced by the fact that his father died recently, and he holds the rehab facility accountable.

Reporters were rebuffed when trying to get comment from people associated with Westwood Health and Rehabilitation.

Gene Combs entered Westwood after having a heart attack. He was there less than a week before Ricky Combs was told that his father had rolled onto a concrete floor. He was taken to a hospital, where he remained until his death.

“He never came out of it, got a little bit worse and a little bit worse,” Combs told Fox 8 News.

What bothers him, he said, is that accident was preventable.

“There’s no side rails on the beds for safety to keep patients from falling out of the bed,” Combs told Fox 8 News. “How many other people are falling, twisting ankles, breaking wrists or something that may not be getting reported? I don’t know but what goes on that’s unseen. Nobody knows.”

State health officials could not provide the number of current patients or staffing numbers, but Fox 8 News said its research showed 10 open positions at the facility.

The station uncovered state records indicating that officials had cited deficiencies at the facility in both 2020 and 2019. 

Combs is gathering records from Westwood and the hospital to try to determine whether the facility is to blame, and he urged families to check on relatives who are there, Fox 8 News reported. The whole situation has left Combs disillusioned.

“I would never, ever send anybody there if they have the same staff they’ve got now,” Combs told Fox 8 News. “They would really have to show me some improvements.”