Patient safety concerns prompt closure of Vegas group home

By Mary Manning

Monday, Aug. 31, 2009 | 2:51 p.m.

State officials are moving to revoke the license of a Las Vegas group care home after it was closed because conditions weren't safe for patients.

The Nevada State Health Division's Bureau of Health Care Quality and Compliance suspended the license of the home on Aug. 13. The Sanchez Home Care facility at 4504 La Roca Circle has been ordered to move its patients to other facilities and notify the state when that action is complete. There were four patients at the home when the order to close was issued.

The patients permitted at the home included those who were elderly, disabled or mentally ill.

The home failed four state inspections, including its annual inspection on April 8, receiving a grade of D, the lowest grade possible. Serious deficiencies included failing to properly administer medications, improper restraint of a resident and failing to meet the needs of residents.

The facility was notified July 29 it was being fined $2,500 for the deficiencies, which included repeat violations, the state said.

The home was cited following a June 17 survey for serious issues including accepting a resident with medical needs that the facility couldn't provide proper help for.

After an Aug. 13 inspection, bureau surveyors found that the water to the home had been turned off, inadequate food supplies were available to residents and a resident requiring dialysis treatment had missed an appointment.

In each inspection, the home had more than 20 deficiencies.

Surveyors also learned the home had been sold to a new owner, but the new owner did not submit a change of ownership application to the bureau, as required by state law.

"The Bureau has determined residents are not safe at the facility due to financial instability and the facility's decision to engage in practices detrimental to residents," the state said in its notification.

Many violations occurred after the bureau had provided a consultant on four separate occasions in an effort to assist bringing the home into compliance with state rules and regulations.