California has one of the strictest and most severe policies when it comes to dispensing fines to nursing homes who provide poor or dangerous care.  Say what you like about regulation of nursing homes, the reality is that fines really do help improve care and living conditions for nursing home residents.

The state imposed substantial fines against two Orange County nursing homes for providing inadequate resident care.

$100,000 Fine

A $100,000 fine was handed to Alamitos West Health Care Center for allowing an 82-year-old resident to die from dehydration and acute kidney failure.  Less than a month after her admission to the facility, the unnamed woman was admitted to a local hospital and treated for a urinary tract infection, dehydration and an 'altered mental status'.  The woman died on Christmas day.

The California Department of Health investigation revealed that the facility ignored physician orders requiring the facility to monitor the woman's fluid intake and urine output every shift. 

$80,000 Fine

Huntington Valley Healthcare  Center was fined $80,000 for failing to call 911 when a resident was suffering from a heart attack because the facility mistakenly believed the man had do-not-resuscitate orders.  In reality, the resident's chart had an order completed by the resident stating, "I DO WANT CPR' in an emergency situation.  By the time paramedics arrived, the man was covered with a sheet with no evidence the staff had taken any steps to initiate CPR.

I guess the time will tell if their fines do anything to improve the care rendered at these facilities...

Read more about these fines imposed against California Nursing Homes here.

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