complaint·December 12, 2023

Per Title 22 regulation, the Licensee was mandated to provide a refund of 80 percent of the Preadmission fee paid over $500. Outside source and staff interviews, as well as a facility and outside source records review, revealed the Licensee provided a refund, on R1's behalf, of an amount that exceeded the facility’s protocol and Title 22 mandate. It was also alleged the Licensee did not ensure removal of R1’s oxygen tanks from the facility. An interview with Outside Source 1 (OS1) revealed when R1 was discharged from the facility the Licensee did not provide three (3) of R1’s oxygen tanks with the transport agency. An interview with facility Staff 1 (S1) revealed that R1 received oxygen tanks by an Outside Agency 1 (OSA1) at the time R1 was admitted to the facility. The interview also revealed an oxygen tank provided by OSA1 was given to R1’s transport agency at discharge, and any other of OSA1’s property provided to the facility for R1’s care was retrieved by OSA1. An interview with an additional agency affiliated with OSA1 corroborated the deliverance of oxygen tanks to the facility the day of R1’s admission and upon retrieval after R1’s discharge, R1 had left the facility with an oxygen tank during transport. The interview with S1 also revealed the three (3) oxygen tanks in question were empty when they were brought to the facility with R1 upon arrival from out of state via ambulance transport. An interview with an additional Outside Source 2 (OS2) revealed they believed the oxygen tanks belonged to an Outside Agency 2 (OSA2) located out of State. OS2 also revealed they coordinated to have the tanks picked up from the facility on February 19, 2022, by a friend. An interview with OSA2 revealed they did not prescribe or provide R1 with Oxygen tanks. Additional records reviews revealed the Licensee had reached out to OS2 to facilitate the removal of R1’s three (3) oxygen tanks left behind. Based on the Department’s investigation the above-mentioned allegations were of the complaint were determined to be unfounded. An unfounded finding means that the allegation was false, could not have happened and/or is without a reasonable basis, therefore the Department has dismissed the complaint allegations.