State Health Department Closes Bluejacket Care Facility Amid Worker Shortages

The state health department has shut down a residential facility in Craig County.

The department reports Golden Life Residential Care in Bluejacket did not have an administrator or qualified workers.

People who have lived in Bluejacket for decades told News On 6 they hardly ever saw workers coming in and out of the building. They also said that based on what it looks like from the outside, they are not surprised the state shut it down.

Golden Life Residential Care in Bluejacket opened in 1990 and had 19 residents until it was shut down in October.

Frank and Stephanie Long live across the street and say they have had concerns for years.

“My concern is for the care of those people,” said Stephanie. “When they would come over here and need to use the phone because they weren’t allowed to use the phone over there or they would come over and want us to take them places.”

The state health department conducted a complaint investigation on Oct. 4 and 5.

A surveyor’s report said an employee “…informed the owner they would no longer work at the facility as they did not believe they would be paid. The owner was asked if there were any employees to care for the residents. They stated there was not.”

The report goes on to say, “The owner stated they had fired the facility administrator that morning.”

“I often wondered why there was only one car over there for 19 or 20 people,” said Frank.

The Longs and other residents said the current owner is Randy McKinney.

Court records show in 2021, McKinney was charged with 17 counts of exploitation of an elderly person or disabled adult.

Court records also show in 2022, McKinney pled no contest to one count and the others were dismissed.

“I’ll be asking the powers that be or whoever I can get answers from why did this go on?” said Mayor Lee Bluejacket.

Mayor Bluejacket said he was shocked to find out who was involved and what has been going on at the facility.

“That is unconscionable,” said Mayor Bluejacket. “That really bothers me. These people are supposed to be taken care of the right way. Whatever the reason, I’d like to know it.”

The Longs hope something will be done to the rundown building they see every day.

“I hope it doesn’t just sit there and keep deteriorating and become a bigger eyesore than it is already,” said Stephanie.

McKinney has not responded to our calls, and the former administrator of the building said “no comment.”

The state health department said it has been working with adult protective services and the state ombudsman office to move all 19 residents to other facilities.