An Oroville, California nursing home, Olive Ridge Post Acute Care, was recently cited fifteen times by the Department of Public Health for failing to follow laws in place to protect residents from improper eviction. According to public documents, Olive Ridge attempted to move out many of its long-term residents to increase beds for short-term rehabilitation residents who are often times required to pay more for their care.
Long-term residents in nursing homes are often considered extremely vulnerable, which is why there are several laws in place intended to protect them from unplanned evictions. According to the citations, Olive Ridge failed to follow several State and Federal laws when it decided to suddenly close down an entire wing of the nursing home and relocate up to fourteen residents that were suffering from severe cognitive issues. To make matters worse, some of the residents were relocated more than 150 miles away from their family with virtually no notice. This understandably created a tremendous amount of anxiety and burden on these residents and their families.
The California Department of Public Health is responsible for overseeing the nursing homes operating within the state to ensure they comply with all state and federal regulations. If you have a complaint that cannot be resolved through direct discussion with the nursing home or an ombudsman, you should contact your local Department of Public Health Licensing and Certification office. A list of the district offices and phone numbers can be found at the CA Department of Public Health website.
Christopher C. Walton dedicates a significant part of his practice on issues involving nursing home abuse and neglect. If you believe you or somebody you know has been subjected to any form of abuse or neglect in a nursing home or assisted living environment, please call (866) 338-7079 for a free and confidential consultation with an elder abuse attorney.