complaint·March 10, 2023

On the allegation that the ‘Facility did not notify the resident's POA of moving R1 to the hospital’; it is the complainant’s concern that on 01/22/2021 R1 had food poisoning, and also tested positive for COVID-19, R1 was sent to the hospital, and facility failed to inform the POA about sending R1 to the hospital. To investigate the allegation LPA Urena interviewed the complainant on 03/10/2023 from 11:40 a.m. to 12:16 p.m. The interview revealed that the hospital contacted POA on 01/22/2022 to inform them that R1 had been admitted to the hospital. POA never received a call from the facility to inform them that R1 was taken to the hospital. On 02/11/2021, LPA Basili Interviewed Administrator Elizabeth Flores regarding contact protocols for residents being admitted to the hospital. According to the Administrator, staff are to always notify responsible parties for hospital visits. In regard to resident R1, facility staff were dealing with a COVID outbreak at the time, and R1 was showing shortness of breath so staff called an ambulance for R1. In that process, the Administrator believes they called the R1’s responsible party from the Administrator’s office phone. However, Administrator stated they do not have a record at this time. LPA Urena conducted a file review on 03/10/2023 in the department’s data system/server to try to locate the LIC 624-Incident Report Form that would have informed the department of the hospitalization of R1, and those notified; however, the LPA was unable to locate the LIC 624. Base on the information obtained through the interviews, there is sufficient evidence to support the allegation that ‘Facility did not notify the resident's POA of moving R1 to the hospital’. Therefore, this allegation is deemed Substantiated at this time. The following deficiencies were observed (See LIC 9099-D.) and cited from the California Code of Regulations, Title 22 and California Health and Safety Code. Failure to correct the deficiencies may result in civil penalties. Citations were issued. The facility's representative sign off the report. A copy of the report and Appeal Rights were issued.