California nursing homes could face tougher scrutiny on its emergency preparedness after a federal report detailed compliance issues in several facilities.
An Office of Inspector General report found deficiencies in 19 facilities after it investigated their compliance with life safety and emergency preparedness regulations.
In all, it uncovered 137 areas of noncompliance with life safety rules and 188 areas of noncompliance with emergency preparedness. Deficiencies included issues with fire detection and suppression systems, hazardous storage areas, plans for evacuation and sheltering in place, and emergency communication plans.
The agency reviewed a sample of 20 facilities out of the state’s 1,202 nursing homes that participate in Medicare or Medicaid, and conducted unannounced site visits between September and December 2018. One facility was destroyed by a wildfire after the visit and findings were not included in the report.
The OIG recommended that the state follow up with the 19 facilities and ensure corrective actions have been taken, conduct more frequent site surveys to follow-up on deficiencies, ensure surveyors consistently enforce federal requirements, and work with the government to develop life safety and training for nursing home staff members.
California agreed with the first and third recommendations, but not the others. It said the state agency does not have the surveyor capacity to conduct more frequent site surveys to follow up on deficiencies.
The state also said working with the federal government to develop life safety training for nursing home staff was beyond the state’s “power to operationalize,” but it would take actions within its authority to train surveyors and remind providers to view training and guidance.
