Straight Talk

The BENEFITS of BAYLESS

A dramatic 9-1-1 audio clip documents the call made by a staff member of Glenwood Gardens (a Brookdale Assisted Living community in Bakersfield, CA) requesting an emergency response to help a resident – Ms. Bayless. We hear the 9-1-1 dispatcher plead with the staff member to administer CPR to the resident. The staff member refuses, citing facility policy. The EMTs arrive, the resident is not breathing, and is pronounced dead at the hospital. It is unfortunate it takes a disturbing event to capture our attention, but nonetheless, this single event has finally prompted a worldwide discussion about the care provided within assisted living* facilities. All media forums have been buzzing about the legal, ethical, and practical implications of the staff member’s actions. CARR was contacted by local media (Channel 6 (Chrisy Selder), and KPBS (Chris Murphy) to give context to the event. In sound bites we could not share enough for the consumer, so we conclude the commentary here.

CARR Publishes More Public Documents

Thanks to the helping hands of several volunteers, CARR has been able to upload about 2,000 new public documents to the site over the last two months. We are targeting our resources to getting the profiles and public documents updated for the 100 - 400 facility identification (FID) series. Many of the 100-400 series facilities only have "unofficial excerpts" (denoted with "F" in the file name) from the public record, as those data were collected and reformatted using Chris' thesis data. As we have leveraged our interns' time and available resources, these "unofficial excerpt' documents are being removed and replaced with the real deal - the actual public document from which those 'unofficial excerpts' were created. To date, CARR has about 13,000 public documents on its site for consumer review.

But consumers will still see residual "F" documents in a facility profile that has been recently updated. Why? Because the public files at Community Care Licensing are frequently incomplete; some documents that once were in the file are no longer in the file. If we can't find the document the "F-document" or unofficial excerpt was taken, the F document remains standing until such time as its original counterpart reappears in the public record.

San Diego RCFEs Number 715

CARR's recent review of the total number of licensed RCFEs in San Diego and Imperial counties, as of 25 January 2013 is 715. The details are these: In Imperial County there are 8 licensed RCFEs and 0 Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs). In San Diego County, the total number of licensed RCFEs is 697, and another 10 facilities licensed as CCRCs. This number is about 1% higher than the 2011 total for the region.

Elders Receive Restitution, Raroque Receives Misdemeanor Grand Theft Conviction

CARR previously reported on the Department of Justice proceedings against Wilhemina Aquino-Raroque, 62, and one-time Licensee of three San Diego RCFEs: Golden Age Residential, Happiness Villa and Lakeview Residential, for multiple charges including theft. Felony Minutes – Pronouncement of Judgment for Sentencing dated 7 November, 2012 reveal that charges against Raroque were reduced to misdemeanors from the original two felony counts of grand theft, California Penal Code 487(a). Presiding Judge K Michael Kirkman sentenced defendant to 6 days in county jail, and formal probation of 3 years, which will be vacated upon Defendant’s completion of 100 hours of community volunteer work.

California's FIRST & ONLY Online Assisted Living Public Record Search

CARR'S Facility Search is a novel approach to researching assisted living facility options. CARR founders recognized the paucity of objective information available to seniors & their families and have worked since 2009 to configure a website that offers more than marketing material. CARR's Facility Search for RCFEs (or Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly) is the first & only website in California to offer online, the actual public documents on assisted living facilities.

Visitors using our site can locate a facility by name, zip code or city using the search bar to the left. Each facility profile contains the following valuable information:

Joaquin Anguera, CARR Board Member, Featured in "Notes to Our Sons & Daughters"

Dr. Joaquin Anguera, a key CARR Board Member, is featured in a new exhibit, "Notes to our Sons and Daughters" benefiting San Diego's Senior Community Centers. The project features San Diego personalities photographed by Philipp Scholz Ritterman. While the photos were being taken, the individuals shared short oral histories from which life lessons and inspirational words were excerpted. Dr. Angera's conversation and words of wisdom were captured and can be viewed at this link.

Bonair Rest Home RCFE Administrator Pura Arrested - Charged with Felony Elder Abuse

UPDATE 10/7/2012: CARR received notification that Alexander Pura was released from custody on 10/6/2012, presumably after posting bail. CARR will keep consumers apprised of the progress of this prosecution as information becomes available.

4 October 2012. Court documents obtained by CARR allege felony elder abuse charges (California Penal Code 368(b)(1)) against Raymundo F Pura and Alexander S Pura for having proximately caused the death of Frank Kiser, 85, while he was in the care of Bonair Rest Home (CCL License 374601295) in 2010. The facility was licensed to and owned by Raymundo Frondozo Pura; Pura’s son and Bonair’s administrator, Alexander, is the state’s second named defendant.

PILOT PROJECT - San Diego County AIS Funds RCFE "Compliance Snapshot"

First RCFE Compliance History Available in California!

Now, for the first time in the state of California, a consumer can see at a glance, a 10-year compliance history for selected Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFEs, aka assisted living facilities) in San Diego County. In May 2012, San Diego County Aging & Independence Services awarded a two-month contract to Consumer Advocates for RCFE Reform (CARR) for a pilot project creating a snapshot of a facility's regulatory compliance track record based on the public records available at CARR's site.

CANHR Introduces CARR To Their Network

CARR sincerely thanks California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform [CANHR] for supporting our outreach efforts by introducing CARR in their Winter 2011 newsletter. CANHR is a fellow long-term care advocacy organization with almost 30 years of experience in education, legislation and litigation http://www.canhr.org.

To view, The Advocate - CANHR's newsletter - for Winter 2011, please use the link provided http://www.canhr.org/temp/CANHR_Advocate_2011Q4.pdf.

CARR's Guide for Evaluating Assisted Living Facilities

So, you have narrowed your search and have scheduled a handful of facility tours. You arrive to any of these tours—introductions are made, accommodations previewed, stop and observe the staff interacting with the residents, follow-up with an invitation to stay for lunch. This is the tour you can expect. This is the tour they have prepared. It is called the “marketing tour”. This is not the only tour you want.

Having worked as an administrator’s assistant, and having served as a long-term care ombudsman, I can tell you with great certainty that many facilities are doing their best . . . to hide the corners they are cutting. Some are cutting fewer than others, it is true.

CARR has prepared a "Facility Evaluation Guide" containing questions and tips based on our personal experiences; they have been condensed to educate and empower you to receive the facility tour you need to make an informed placement decision. This will be your family/friend’s new home. You should be allowed to inspect the ENTIRE facility. Treat the tour as if you were looking at real estate for purchase. Click HERE to download the Guide.