Twenty-six residents of the Palmerton area assisted living facility, Eastern Comfort Assisted Living facility, 2941 Cherry Hill Road near Parryville, are being kicked out of their residence this week, through no fault of their own.
The residents, many of them with disabilities, will have to be relocated by Friday, because the state Department of Public Welfare has ordered the facility closed because it has repeatedly fafiled to correct health and safety violations dating back to 2008.
It's sad, because a majority of these residents, haven't known any other residency for at least the last decade.
They like the place, they feel comfortable and well taken care of there, despite the numerous infractions the welfare department has charged the facility with.
The closing comes as no surprise. Eastern Comfort has been operating under its second provisional licence for more than a year. And according to DPW, the violations have been occuring repeatedly for two years.
So where will these people go? Hopefully the DPW will be able to relocate them to a place where they will feel equally comfortable. It's important they receive adequate care because many of them are unable to care for themselves.
Steven J. Miga of Bethlehem, the owner, refuses to take personal blame for the conditions of the facility.
He blamed his staff.
"I didn't do nothing," he said in an interview with The TIMES NEWS. "I'm never there. They (staff members) didn't do their job, and now I'm stuck with the problems."
We ask the question of Mr. Miga, why didn't you do anything, and why weren't you there to oversee the operation?
If the facility is in your name, and reflects on your reputation, then why weren't you more of a hands on owner, instead of an absentee landlord?
If staffers weren't doing an adequate job to keep Eastern Comfort in compliance with state regulations, you had an obligation to be there and see that things were done correctly.
You claim your employees "weren't doing their homework". It's obvious you weren't doing your homework either, Mr. Miga, if you failed to recognize what was going on there that would warrant the state placing sanctions on your business.
There are victims here, and Mr. Miga isn't one of them. The 26 residents who called Eastern Comfort home are the ones who are suffering. And the state, and Mr. Miga, have an obligation to see that they find housing that will fit their needs.
Bob Urban
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Comments
I KNEW QUITE A FEW PEOPLE THAT HAVE RESIDED IN THE HOME AS WELL AS A FEW THAT WERE EMPLOYED THERE. IF THIS MORON THOUGHT HIS EMPLOYEES WERE SO INCOMPETENT, THEN MAYBE HE SHOULD HAVE SCREENED HIS EMPLOYEES INSTEAD OF CONTINUALLY RELYING ON OTHER PEOPLE TO DO HIS JOB. TO ANYONE WHO IS READING THESE COMMENTS, PLEASE KNOW THAT HE WAS ONLY EVER CONCERNED WITH THE MONEY HE RECIEVED FROM THE STATE. THE RESIDENTS WERE A PAYCHECK TO HIM AND HE DID NOT PAY HIS HARDWORKING EMPLOYEES WHAT THEY WERE WORTH TO GIVE THEM ANY INCENTIVE. THEY WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR THE RESIDENTS BECAUSE THIS JERK HAS NO HEART. GOD DONT LIKE UGLY, THATS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
THE HOMES AT 2491 CHERRY HILL ROAD JUNE 29TH, 2003, WE 'RE NOT SAVED. WHEN THE HOMES OF PINE MEADOWS WERE ORIGINALLY FOR SALE WE SHOULD HAVE LEFT IT GO. THE PERSON WHO BOUGHT THIS FACILITY, HAS TAKEN 3 HOMES THAT WERE ONCE ALL ONE BIG EXTENDED FAMILY. 3 BUILDINGS THAT HOUSED 31 RESIDENTS TOTAL, WERE COZY, CLEAN, LOVING, AND FAMILY ORIENTED. PICNICS HELD TOGETHER, FAMILIES KNEW EACH OTHER, THEY KNEW EVERY WORKER BY NAME. THE HOMES WERE THERE OVER 25 YRS. XMAS PARTIES, REPAIRS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE STAFF WORKED TOGETHER. ADMINISTRATORS AVAILABLE 24/7.
THE NIGHTMARE BEGAN AUGUST 2003 OFFICIALLY. THE LOG CABIN WAS SOLD. NEW ADDITIONS WERE ADDED TO THE TWO REMAINING HOUSES. HE UPPED THE COUNT TO 76. FILLED IT WITH ANY SSI PERSON HE COULD FIND TO MAKE SURE HE GOT HIS RENT. I COULD NOT WORK FOR A MAN THAT DID NOT HAVE COMPASSION FOR THE RESIDENTS AND THE HOMES WE HAD BUILT FOR THEM, OR DID NOT WANT TO FOLLOW THE RULES OF THE STATE. I RESIGNED MY POSITION 6 OTHERS LEFT WITH ME. IT WAS ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS I HAD TO EVER DO LEAVING MY SECOND FAMILY. I COULD NOT WORK FOR A MAN THAT WOULD TREAT PEOPLE THE WAY HE DOES, JUST TO GET AHEAD.
JUST LIKE THE OTHER PERSON STATED HE DOES LIKE TO CALL PEOPLE NAMES AND EVERYONE IS DUMB HE IS THE ONLY SMART ONE. WELL I WANT YOU GIRLS TO KNOW ANY BODY THAT HAD A RESIDENT THERE APPRECIATES WHAT YOU DID FOR THEM NO MATTER WHAT, AND THEY KNOW YOU CARED FOR THEM. YOU DID WHAT YOU COULD WITH WHAT YOU WERE GIVEN TO WORK WITH. I KNOW A LOT OF TIMES WE BROUGHT OUR OWN STUFF IN. DO NOT LET THIS GET YOU DOWN YOU ALL DID YOUR BEST. HOLD YOUR HEAD HIGH GET ANOTHER JOB IN A FACILITY THAT WILL PROVIDE THE RIGHT STUFF FOR YOU TO TAKE CARE OF RESIDENTS PROPERLY. THE DIFFERENCE IS UNBELIEVABLE. GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE STAFF AND RESIDENTS
I AGREE with everyone who has commented on this story. I feel the one whose responsible for all of this is STEVE MIGA he"s should not have the rights to appeal anything he will never change to the fact that he has no heart .I feel he should be in the shoes of the resident,and staff left out in the cold .They have to adjust to a new whole living, and working environment not fair the them at all.
Thank you for making sure JoAnn is taken care of and thank you for your kind words. We need all the defence we can get at this point.
Jennifer
I FIRST HAND CAN SAY ON BEHALF OF THE STAFF AND RESIDENTS OF EASTERN COMFORT OF PARRYVILLE.
THAT THE OWNER OF THE FACILITY NEW OF ALL PROBLEMS SINCE DAY ONE .HE"S THE TYPE OF PERSON TO SAY CALL FAX AND I"LL GET RIGHT ON IT YEAH WEEKS LATER THAT IS . HE EVEN TELLS THE STAFF TO FIX THE PROBLEM THEMSELVES.HE EVEN HAS THE STAFF DOING OUTSIDE WORK. HE"S NOT VERY RESPECTFUL OF THE STAFF VERY NASTY TO HIS WORKERS NEVER HAS ANYTHING NICE TO SAY TO THEM SAYS THEY ARE STUPID OR NOT VERY SMART.SO WHEN HE SAYS HE NEW NOTHING OF THE PROBLEMS HE"S LYING.HE NEVER PAYS HIS BILLS HE DECIDES TO PAY WHEN THEY ARE THREATING TO SHUT OFF OR NOT PICK UP GARBAGE THEN HE PAYS . HE HAS OTHER BUSINESSES BESIDES ASSISTED LIVING HOMES . AND HE DON"T TAKE CARE OF THEM EITHER.ALL HE WANTS IS THE MONEY A FANCY HOME AND NICE CAR(JAGUAR) THAT IS
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CONCERNED CITIZEN
Everything said here is true. The owner was fully aware from day one. On two seperate occasions I had to do laundry from both facilities for approximately 3 weeks until he finally had a plumber fix the problem at the yellow building, I would do 10 loads of wash, dry and fold them and then load carts hampers and baskets into my truck and at 11 p.m. at night drop them off at the yellow builting. Every single night for 3 weeks I did this in addition to my own residents wash with one washer and dryer. Also on seperate occasions we were left with one oven between both facilities to do all the cooking for all the residents. All things we delt with while he took his time providing repairs. Yes, we were referred to as stupid. We were quite stupid to work for his man, this is true. I hope that is what he means by stupid. He is ignorant in life but was never ignorant to our problems. Let's call it "playing dumb". I wish more people would leave their opinions to these articles. The main article of the shutdown was in Tuesday July 6th paper entitled "Ordered Closed". At least in that article it mentions on an unanounced visit just a couple weeks ago the house was immaculate and the people were happy. There is at least fragments of truth in the article you just have to look for them.