Missing woman case brings to light other problems at Unique Living

Jeff Melton / The Star
Unique Living has come under fire in recent years by the county DSS. On Sept. 3, the assisted living facility reported a resident, Mouy Tang, missing.

The Star
Tuesday, Sep 9 2008
David Allen

SHELBY - Quyhn Tang has made the choice to wait by her phone, both hopeful and unsure of her sister-in-law's whereabouts.

"It's heartbreaking," she quietly said of Mouy Tang, who disappeared between Lawndale and Fallston last week. "Very stressful. We're praying that someone out there is caring enough to bring her home.

"Mouy, a native of Cambodia and Unique Living resident, wandered from the oft-criticized adult-care home Sept. 3, following at least two other residents who disappeared in 2006.A representative at Unique Living Tuesday declined to comment on Mouy's disappearance.

It's the type of issue Cleveland County Department of Social Services officials have been warning about for months.

Back in June, the county DSS sent a letter to the state, specifically to Department of Health Service Regulation Adult Care Licensure Section Chief Barbara Ryan, in reference to Unique Living, noting potential dangers the facility presented.


The state's official response, or lack thereof, recently prompted the county DSS board to consider drafting a new letter to Dempsey Benton, secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.


"There was no official response to my letter," DSS Director John Wasson said. "They did send teams out ... at least they didn't ignore it totally."Neither Ryan nor DHSR Acting Director Jeff Horton was available for comment Tuesday.

The Star reported in July that teams from the DHSR were brought in to Unique Living to inspect the facility.

Several citations were given, Wasson said, including problems involving faulty door alarms and dangerously hot water.

The facility was directed to correct the issues by Aug. 29, said Tom Ensley, adult services supervisor. Problems remained when officials went back to follow up on Sept. 3, the day Tang went missing.

But less than a week before, a DHSR construction section inspector said the deficiencies had been addressed.

"He stated that all the areas that he had cited as deficiencies had been corrected," Ensley said. "However, when we made our visit last week and walked through that facility, we noted a number of items that were on this list of deficiencies that were still not corrected."

Problems found

County DSS officials said the sanitation level, which was cited as a deficiency, remains below standards. There's a door in the facility leading outside that, no matter the effort, cannot be shut properly. Dresser drawers were found missing or broken. The list goes on.

But the door alarms worried Ensley the most.

"They weren't repaired; they still aren't repaired," he said.

State officials would probably cite Unique Living with "Type A" violations, Ensley said, where "direct harm has occurred" because of uncorrected problems.

Jim Jones, a DHSR spokesman, said the state agency is still investigating the situation in light of Tang's disappearance.

Search continues

Though Tang has been missing a week, officials and Tang's family haven't given up hope.

Searches continued Tuesday morning, DSS Social Work Program Manager Teala McSwain said. Officials scoured underpasses, combed woods.

Nothing.

And as days pass with little to no leads, optimism fades.

"Unless something good has happened or there's a miracle, we may be looking at another death there," McSwain said. There have been several parties actively pursuing Tang's disappearance, she said.

"Her family has been active with her and been in contact with us and with the facility and police and emergency management since this event has happened," McSwain said. "Our law enforcement and emergency management have spent countless hours, day and night, since this has happened.

"Since 1985, three other Unique Living residents have died because of accidents or disappearances - a "sacrifice of our poor system in some ways," McSwain said.

In 2006, resident Kelly "Buck" Whitesides was found dead less than 1,000 feet from the home six days after going missing. One resident was previously scalded to death and another choked on a sandwich.

"How many people are going to wander away?" Quyhn Tang asked. "This is preventable."