State Fines Fremont Nursing Home for Negligence in Resident's Death

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced today that it has issued a fine and citation to a Fremont nursing home for negligent care resulting in the death of one of its residents.

Crestwood Manor, a skilled nursing facility that is part of Crestwood Behavioral Health, Inc., has received a fine of $100,000 and a
Class “AA” Citation from the State of California, which is the most severe penalty under state law, according to California Department of Public Health officials.

In July of last year, an unidentified resident choked on a piece of meat during a lapse in monitoring and suffered cardiac arrest. This
incident, according to CDPH, was the result of several factors ultimately determined to be a direct proximate cause of the resident’s death.

Emergency medical technicians responded to the scene, removing the piece of meat blocking her airway, according to the responders. They took the resident to the emergency room at a local hospital where she had a seizure, according to hospital officials.
The resident was then transferred to the intensive care unit, where she died on Aug. 1, 2014 due to lack of oxygen to the brain, hospital officials said.

A CDPH investigation conducted following the incident alleged that “the facility failed to provide a safe dining experience and failed to
implement their care plan to consistently assist and assure that safe eating
occurred for Resident X”, according to the CDPH.

According to the CDPH, the investigation also revealed that the resident had a history of delusional thoughts, difficulty swallowing, and was known to eat quickly and not chew adequately.

According to CDPH officials, the citation class and amount of the fine depend on the significance and severity of the substantiated violation, as prescribed and defined in California law. By providing nursing facilities it licenses with consequences for substantiated violations, the California Department of Public Health strives to protect the health and safety of vulnerable individuals, CDPH officials
said in a statement.

By Bay City News

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