Unfounded allegations appear to have been at least part of the reason Providence Place stood out for the number of maltreatment allegations reported to the Minnesota Department of Health in fiscal year 2015.
The News Tribune was able to find only one substantiated allegation against the South Minneapolis facility in recent years, although the one was disturbing. In 2015, state investigators substantiated an allegation that a staff member had taken a resident's narcotic medication, according to a report released on May 26, 2015.
Providence Place is owned by Tealwood Senior Living of Bloomington, Minn. Amanda Johnson, the company's vice president for clinical operations, noted that Providence Place is large - with 190 beds - and serves a diverse population from typical nursing home patients to younger people with mental health issues.
"It serves a population that in a lot of ways is underserved," she said.
At least one of the allegations dealt with a matter over which the company had no control.
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The allegation was that a resident was financially exploited when the rent was raised from $900 a month to $2,900.
The state investigator quickly dismissed the allegation as unsubstantiated, noting that the resident had been moved from an assisted living facility to a nursing home and required more assistance and more care.
The rates for various levels of care are set by the state, Johnson noted.
