STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A few weeks after Nicolina Barrett moved into New Broadview Manor, an assisted living center in South Beach, she began experiencing frequent bloody noses, lethargy and a host of respiratory distress.
“She went there to recover from hip surgery, and ended up getting sick quite often,” her daughter, Jackie Barrett, explained, detailing her mother’s symptoms. “She couldn’t figure out why, but she felt like it had something to do with her new environment.”
That’s when the 67-year-old discovered layers of mold in several corners of her room.
The substance that Barrett swabbed came back positive for four different types of fungi: Alternaria, Aspergiullus/Penicillium, Memnoniella and Stachybotrys. (Courtesy of Jackie Barrett)(Courtesy of Jackie Barrett)
She snapped pictures of the black substance, which was growing on ceiling tiles and in sheet rock crevices, and sent the visual evidence to her daughter, who lives in New Orleans. She reached out to administration at Broadview and called the building’s owners. When both parties were unresponsive, she swabbed the suspicious substance herself, forwarded it to an environmental lab for testing and sent the results to the city Department of Health (DOH).
“The tests came back positive for four different types of fungi, two light, two heavy,” Jackie Barrett noted, naming strains of Alternaria, Aspergiullus/Penicillium, Memnoniella and Stachybotrys that were detailed in a lab report produced by Iris Environmental Laboratories in July 2023. “She was so happy when she got that report back, because she knew that was the cause of her illness. She was so desperately trying to be heard.”
Barrett was treated for acute bronchitis, termed by her doctor in a health report as a “reaction to black mold.” (Courtesy of Jackie Barrett)(Courtesy of Jackie Barrett)
Barrett, who had worked for years as a health-care professional herself, was treated for acute bronchitis, termed by her doctor in a report as a “reaction to black mold.” After an investigation of the facility, spurred by Barrett’s complaints, the DOH substantiated her claims, issuing a violation to physical environment at Broadview on Oct. 3, 2023. It was one of 36 violations issued at the facility since 2020.
“There were so many other issues at play,” Jackie Barrett said.
Nicolina Barrett died on Feb. 20, 2024.
“We don’t think the mold was the cause of her death, but it definitely made her last days difficult,” Jackie Barrett said. “She was hospitalized because of her breathing issues and had constant recurring bloody noses. Her health was so fragile, but she kept writing letters. She kept fighting, because she believed there was negligence there.”
Broadview Manor did not respond to several calls and emails regarding Barrett’s claims, and the W Group, which owns and operates the facility, was also unresponsive.
According to the Department of Health website, which publicly lists citations issued at all adult-care facilities, a total of 36 violations resulted from 27 inspections at Broadview from July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2024. Twenty-four of those violations were issued on Oct. 3, 2023, after Barrett’s urging — six for environmental standards, eight for food services, six for resident services, two for personnel, and one each for general provisions and resident funds and valuables.
Three days later, the DOH sent a letter to Barrett, noting that an investigation had substantiated her complaints.
Barrett died on Feb. 20, 2024, at the age of 67. (Courtesy of Jackie Barrett)(Courtesy of Jackie Barrett)
“This is to advise you that we have completed our investigation … and were able to substantiate your complaint,” stated the letter, which was obtained by the Advance/SILive.com. “An appropriate violation related to Physical Environment is being issued for the facility to correct.”
But the mold issue was not corrected before Barrett’s death. And the DOH declined to comment on whether any of those violations have been cleared since — terming the complaint as an ongoing investigation.
“Ensuring all Adult Care Facility residents receive proper care is a priority of the New York State Department of Health,” the DOH noted in a statement when questioned about Barrett’s case. “The Department also reviews every complaint it receives to determine if the issue is a possible regulatory violation, which includes unannounced onsite surveys as well as offsite record reviews. The Department cannot comment on any open or ongoing complaints or investigations.”
The DOH directed the Advance/SILive.com to view all publicly available information about New Broadview Manor Home for Adults on the NYS Health Profiles website, and suggested that persons with concerns about potential violations of residents’ rights file a complaint by calling 1-866-893-6772.
The department also suggested reaching out to New York State’s Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, which it called “an effective advocate and resource for older adults and people with disabilities who live in nursing homes, assisted living, and other licensed adult-care homes.”
A spokesperson for the Ombudsmen Program deferred an inquiry back to the DOH, however, since the question “seems to be related to the enforcement status of Department of Health violations and complaints.”
At a memorial service held at New Broadview Manor after Barrett’s death, residents vowed to continue her work.
“[Nicky] not only gave a damn, she gave her life,” one resident said during the service, portions of which were recorded and shared with the Advance/SILive.com. “And we have to keep that going. If people want it better around here, they gotta stand up for themselves. She was carrying the weight of the entire resident facility. If you want it better, you got to stand up.”
Jackie Barrett said she finds comfort in those sentiments.
“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about what we could have done differently,” she concluded. “But it’s my hope that her voice and the complaints she made about this facility do not go unheard.”