Yancey County assisted living employees found asleep with residents' medication with them

A North Carolina assisted living facility has been shut down after two employees were found asleep when one of the residents needed help, according to the Yancey County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies said they got a call on April 17 from Southern Living for Seniors in Burnsville from a resident who needed help for his roommate who had fallen.

The resident told authorities he could not locate any employees to help with the roommate, who had been on the floor for 45 minutes.

Following a search of the entire facility, two employees, Brittany Michelle Crowder, 29, and James David Hudson, 36, were found asleep in a vacant resident’s room, deputies said.

Deputies said the employees had several residents’ narcotic prescription medication.

Both face a list of charges.

A subsequent report was made to the Department of Health and Human Services and Yancey County DSS after the incident.

DHHS launched an investigation into the management practices of the facility.

Deputies said the investigation led to the facility being shut down because it was non-compliant in many areas.

DHHS and DSS were able to relocate all of the current residents of Southern Living for Seniors to other area facilities.