TONAWANDA, N.Y. — The New York State Department of Health is ordering a local senior living center to shut down.
The department executed a Commissioner's Emergency Order to Oakwood Senior Living Center in Tonawanda. This means that the health department is suspending the facility's operating certificate for 60 days.
The health department released the following statement:
“To ensure the safety and wellbeing of Oakwood Senior Living residents, the Department of Health, on May 20, executed a Commissioner’s Emergency Order, Pursuant to Social Services Law § 460-d(4)(b), suspending the facility’s operating certificate for 60 days. Due to pending litigation, we cannot comment further.”
Health department officials didn't give specific details about what lead to the emergency order being executed. However,a number of residents told the Buffalo News there have been a lot of mistakes made when it comes to providing medication and that some went without their meds without any explanation given.
The company that owns Oakwood told the Buffalo News that it plans to fight the state's effort to shut it down, saying a lot of the roughly 100 residents who live there might not have another place to go.
2 On Your Side independently reached to Oakwood and was told that they do not have a comment.