CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. - "My grandmother was a feisty little old lady," said Paulette Hemmings whose grandmother Iris Romans was a patient at Englewood Healthcare and Rehabilitation.

When Romans needed round the clock care in 2006, the Hemmings' had to move quickly. They found a spot open at Englewood Healthcare. The facility even had a four star rating from AHCA at the time.

But Hemmings says she now thinks the ratings are bogus, because of how her grandmother was treated.

"We saw our grandmother my husband and myself...slumped over a chair like this by the dining room," said Hemmings.

When Romans was taken to the hospital in August, Hemmings said the doctor told her the 97 year old woman was extremely dehydrated.

Romans' medical records show she had a urinary tract infection and unbalanced electrolytes. The medical records also documented a pressure sore the doctor pointed out to Hemmings.

"He called us and said did you know your grandmother had this sore we said no because what they did they covered it up with a sock."

Following her grandmother's death, Hemmings filed a complaint with AHCA.

"AHCA sent me a letter saying they did their research and their finding was no rules or laws were broken," said Hemmings who was upset by how quickly the agency dismissed her complaint.

Representative Paige Kreegel wrote AHCA on Hemmings' behalf asking them to reopen their investigation, but his inquiry was also quickly dismissed.

AHCA sent Kreegal's office a letter stating they'd done a thorough investigation and would not reopen the case.

AHCA did not comment any further on why they would not reopen the investigation.

A former Englewood Healthcare employee says she's disappointed in AHCA's investigations as well.

"At one point there was vegetation growing through one side of one of the walls of the rooms," said the former worker, who did not want to be identified.

In September, she blew the whistle on her employer when she saw the facility overrun with black mold.

"The employees were constantly sick with respiratory problems we had patients that already had respiratory issues and I think it made it worse for them"

On September 25,2009 AHCA inspectors came into the facility and found mold in several patient rooms and ordered more air quality reports.

As soon as the facility turned in a plan of action, AHCA cleared them and the facility retained its four star rating.

"I don't understand how AHCA cleared them because there are now lab results, moisture reports, air conditioner humidity reports that indicates the building is still not safe for patients to be in there," said the former employee.

AHCA said that the ratings come out by quarter and that likely the last inspection would affect Englewood's star rating in the future. As of Tuesday AHCA's website lists Englewood Healthcare with an overall 3 star rating.

The facility in the meantime is still advertising and touting a four star rating. When asked about the allegations surrounding the facility, administrator Michael Allen said in a statement to WINK News:

"We are proud of our 5-star rating in pressure ulcers and the overall 4-star rating of our facility. We welcome the oversight of agencies and the active involvement of families and our community as we care for residents who look to us as their family."

Allen denied a request for an interview about the allegations into the facility but in his statement he pointed out that AHCA cleared Englewood Healthcare of water intrusion in two of the 68 rooms, and said that investigations by the fire marshal, the health department and OSHA all turned out satisfactory.

Englewood Healtchare Statement Englewood Healthcare Emails