Volunteer Ousted After Facebook Appeal Shines Light on Years of Alleged Neglect at NKY Care Home

Rachel Paxitzis, a Northern Kentucky artist and neighbor of Regency Manor in Independence, says she began volunteering after seeing a Facebook plea for help. Over nearly two weeks she power-washed patios, planted flowers, painted rusting lawn furniture and launched a GoFundMe that raised about $1,700 to help roughly 40 residents. Paxitzis also recruited volunteers and documented her efforts on social media to show donors where the money was going.

Volunteer Work, Then a Ban

Although staff initially welcomed her help, Paxitzis says facility managers later told her she was no longer allowed on site. Managers reportedly objected to her Facebook posts and questioned the legality of her GoFundMe. Some volunteers Paxitzis recruited subsequently reported concerns about living conditions at the home to authorities.

Longstanding Regulatory And Legal Concerns

Regency Manor and its owner, Eldercare Partners, have faced years of health, safety and fire-code citations from state and local officials. In 2025 the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services sought to close the facility, alleging multiple serious violations; a judge ultimately declined to order a shutdown, finding the state had not presented sufficient evidence to do so. Eldercare Partners has denied the allegations in court filings and managers declined to comment when reached by reporters.

Allegations Raised by Inspectors and Families

State inspectors' allegations include mishandling of narcotics, incomplete medical records, unsafe interior temperatures during hot summers and cold winters, and failure to "maintain a clean, safe, sanitary, odor free environment." The state told the court that "the residents of Regency Manor's rights are being violated daily" in its lawsuit.

Inspectors also reported two incidents they described as placing residents in "immediate peril": one resident wandered off and was struck by a vehicle, and another, identified as a suicide risk, was reportedly found twice with string or ribbon tied around her neck. The state argued managers failed to create and implement care plans for such residents; facility lawyers countered that the law did not impose the obligations the state described. The judge dismissed the case, allowing Regency Manor to remain open.

Rachel Paxitzis stands in a parking lot adjacent to Regency Manor in Independence, KY.

"I'm doing this on my own time," Paxitzis said. "I'm trying to help these people."

Notable Lawsuits

Family members of Sherry Moore sued Regency Manor after Moore, 67, left the facility in August 2022 and was later found deceased roughly 300 yards into nearby woods about a week after she walked away. That lawsuit alleges the facility failed to adopt and enforce procedures to secure and monitor residents with dementia or other conditions requiring close supervision; it also says police had been called to the home about 20 times in the year before Moore's disappearance. Regency Manor's attorneys have disputed the claims, and the case remains unresolved.

In December 2025, a former employee filed another suit alleging negligence, retaliation and a hostile work environment. That complaint cited pest infestations, malfunctioning alarms, unsafe temperatures and "insufficient dietary funding." Regency Manor's lawyers deny these allegations.

Fire-Inspection History

Independence Fire Chief Scott Breeze confirmed the facility currently meets fire-code requirements, but said past inspections documented multiple violations and resulted in fines. Since 2022, reports noted holes in walls and ceilings, exposed wiring, obstructed sprinkler heads, malfunctioning smoke detectors, improperly stored compressed-gas canisters, and combustible materials in exit aisles. Last year the department fined Regency Manor $800 for a nonoperational sprinkler system and blocked exits.

What Volunteers and Families Say

Paxitzis says she intended to work with staff, not to embarrass them, and that her posts were meant to provide transparency to donors and encourage community support. "We have so much," she wrote on Facebook before she was asked to leave. "Let's give generously with our time, talents and resources … Let them know they are worthy of it."

The facility's legal representatives have consistently disputed allegations in court filings. Regulators and families, however, continue to raise concerns about resident safety and the standard of care. The full legal and regulatory picture remains unsettled as lawsuits proceed and inspections continue.