PILLSBURY CARE HOME SEIZED BY STATE OFFICIALS
By Gregory J. Lamoureux
County Courier
ST. ALBANS: A senior living facility in St. Albans has been seized and turned over to a receiver to manage while a court case proceeds.
According to the Vermont Attorney General’s Office, Homestead at Pillsbury in St. Albans is one of three facilities that was taken over by state officials this week after complaints about their business practices could not be rectified by “standard regulatory processes.”
The residential care homes involved are Allenwood at Pillsbury Manor in South Burlington, Homestead at Pillsbury in St. Albans, and Pillsbury Manor South in South Burlington. All are owned by East Lake Capital Management and Andrew White, according to the AG’s office.
There are 102 residents living in these facilities requiring some assistance, with an additional 69 residents living independently.
Allegations included “the homes’ failure to deposit residents’ rent checks or to return deposits, concerns about adequate staffing, and food insecurity,” said Charity R. Clark, Chief of Staff at the AG’s office.
Those complaints were filed by “staff, residents, and their family members over the past several months,” Clark said.
The state conducted an “unannounced” inspection of the facilities this week, where they were able to, at least in part, back up the claims filed in the complaints.
“It became clear that the need to intervene was urgent, prompting the joint motion to appoint a receiver,” Clark said.
Now the properties have been turned over to Douglas Wolinsky, an attorney that will act as a receiver to get the business back on solid footing and meet regulatory requirements.
“I want staff, residents, and their families to know that the State has confidence in the receiver promptly getting management of these homes back on track,” said Attorney General T.J. Donovan.
Officials said they were meeting with families and staff to discuss the issue yesterday, and continued into today.
The court order was filed in Montpelier on Wednesday, giving less than 24 hours for the state to step in with a replacement receiver to run the properties.
Harborview, an independent living facility operated by the same company and based out of Shelburne is not part of the court order and is still being managed by its original investors, according to the AG’s office.
