SUBURBAN WEST PALM BEACH, FL -- 27-year-old Alexis Hodges just got out of the Navy and is living in Virginia. Out of the blue on Thursday she says she received a call from the Boynton Beach Nursing Home where her mother is staying.
Apparently, her mother's insurance ran out and ManorCare, the facility taking care of her mother, said she had to go.
"They said very heartlessly that it wasn't their problem," Hodges said. "They said she wasn't staying there another night...that was going to be it."
Hodges said her mother Thai is only 55 years old and, up until July, had been a surgical coordinator at a local hospital.
But she suffered a stroke and has since been paralyzed.
"I begged and pleaded with them to give me a few days to find some place for her," Hodges said.
According to witnesses ManorCare did exactly what it said it was going to do and loaded up Thai Hodges and drove her to the Westgate Tabernacle homeless shelter Thursday night.
"She was in tears when she got here," said shelter coordinator Sylvia Negley. "She didn't know what was going on."
Negley said she could tell right away Hodges was in need of medical care so she refused to take her in.
"Medications, nurses, we don't have the ramps, there's a lot of things that go into that," Negley said.
Negley said the driver of the van turned around and took Hodges back.
The nursing home confirmed Hodges is in their care again.
ManorCare released this statement, "We are pleased that our staff successfully worked with Mrs. Hodges on her rehabilitation. The center staff is working with the patient, her family and community resources for a safe discharge. "
Still, Alexis Hodges is frantic about what might happen next.
"I'm concerned now with her safety and her care and how its going to be," she said.
What's worse is Westgate Tabernacle said this kind of abandonment is not uncommon- and is only getting worse.
"Hospital dumps is what we call them," Negley said "I've seen people wheeled in here in a wheelchair, placed on a chair and then they take the wheelchair away."
Hodges said the hospital that treated her mother- Bethesda Memorial-originally sent her to ManorCare.
She is now trying to figure out where her mother can go.
If you can help, you can contact Alexis Hodges at hodgelott@hotmail.com
ManorCare was given a two out of a five star rating from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid.
ManorCare's Delray Beach facility received only a one star.
