Harborchase of Sarasota complaints investigation results in 2019 deficiencies
Harborchase of Sarasota complaints resulted in an unannounced inspection at the assisted living facility located at 5311 Proctor Road, Sarasota, Florida 34233. Complaints were lodged against this assisted living facility during 2019, triggering an unannounced investigation by the State of Florida.
Harborchase staffing and training found lacking by Florida officials
During an October, 2019 investigation conducted by officials with the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration, Harborchase of Sarasota was found to have failed to comply with two requirements under Florida law. These training and staffing deficiencies resulting from Harborchase of Sarasota complaints included:
(2) STAFF PRESERVICE ORIENTATION. (a) Facilities must provide a preservice orientation of at least 2 hours to all new assisted living facility employees who have not previously completed core training as detailed in subsection (1). (b) New staff must complete the preservice orientation prior to interacting with residents. (c) Once complete, the employee and the facility administrator must sign a statement that the employee completed the preservice orientation which must be kept in the employee’s personnel record. (d) In addition to topics that may be chosen by the facility administrator, the preservice orientation must cover: 1. Resident’s rights; and, 2. The facility’s license type and services offered by the facility. (3) STAFF IN-SERVICE TRAINING. Facility administrators or managers shall provide or arrange for the following in-service training to facility staff: (a) Staff who provide direct care to residents, other than nurses, certified nursing assistants, or home health aides trained in accordance with rule 59A-8.0095, F.A.C., must receive a minimum of 1 hour in-service training in infection control, including universal precautions and facility sanitation procedures, before providing personal care to residents. The facility must use its infection control policies and procedures when offering this training. Documentation of compliance with the staff training requirements of 29 CFR 1910.1030, relating to blood borne pathogens, may be used to meet this requirement. (b) Staff who provide direct care to residents must receive a minimum of 1 hour in-service training within 30 days of employment that covers the following subjects: 1. Reporting adverse incidents. 2. Facility emergency procedures including chain-of-command and staff roles relating to emergency evacuation. (c) Staff who provide direct care to residents, who have not taken the core training program, shall receive a minimum of 1 hour in-service training within 30 days of employment that covers the following subjects: 1. Resident rights in an assisted living facility. 2. Recognizing and reporting resident abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The facility must use its abuse prevention policies and procedures when offering this training. (d) Staff who provide direct care to residents, other than nurses, CNAs, or home health aides trained in accordance with rule 59A-8.0095, F.A.C., must receive 3 hours of in-service training within 30 days of employment that covers the following subjects: 1. Resident behavior and needs. 2. Providing assistance with the activities of daily living. (e) Staff who prepare or serve food, who have not taken the assisted living facility core training must receive a minimum of 1-hour-in-service training within 30 days of employment in safe food handling practices. (f) All facility staff shall receive in-service training regarding the facility’s resident elopement response policies and procedures within thirty (30) days of employment. 1. All facility staff shall be provided with a copy of the facility’s resident elopement response policies and procedures. 2. All facility staff shall demonstrate an understanding and competency in the implementation of the elopement response policies and procedures.
and:
(2) STAFF. (a) Within 30 days after beginning employment, newly hired staff must submit a written statement from a health care provider documenting that the individual does not have any signs or symptoms of communicable disease. The examination performed by the health care provider must have been conducted no earlier than 6 months before submission of the statement. Newly hired staff does not include an employee transferring without a break in service from one facility to another when the facility is under the same management or ownership. 1. Evidence of a negative tuberculosis examination must be documented on an annual basis. Documentation provided by the Florida Department of Health or a licensed health care provider certifying that there is a shortage of tuberculosis testing materials satisfies the annual tuberculosis examination requirement. An individual with a positive tuberculosis test must submit a health care provider’s statement that the individual does not constitute a risk of communicating tuberculosis. 2. If any staff member has, or is suspected of having, a communicable disease, such individual must be immediately removed from duties until a written statement is submitted from a health care provider indicating that the individual does not constitute a risk of transmitting a communicable disease. (b) Staff must be qualified to perform their assigned duties consistent with their level of education, training, preparation, and experience. Staff providing services requiring licensing or certification must be appropriately licensed or certified. All staff must exercise their responsibilities, consistent with their qualifications, to observe residents, to document observations on the appropriate resident’s record, and to report the observations to the resident’s health care provider in accordance with this rule chapter. (c) All staff must comply with the training requirements of rule 58A-5.0191, F.A.C. (d) An assisted living facility contracting to provide services to residents must ensure that individuals providing services are qualified to perform their assigned duties in accordance with this rule chapter. The contract between the facility and the staffing agency or contractor must specifically describe the services the staffing agency or contractor will provide to residents. (e) For facilities with a licensed capacity of 17 or more residents, the facility must: 1. Develop a written job description for each staff position and provide a copy of the job description to each staff member; and, 2. Maintain time sheets for all staff. (f) Level 2 background screening must be conducted for staff, including staff contracted by the facility to provide services to residents, pursuant to sections 408.809 and 429.174, F.S.
Have Concerns about Harborchase of Sarasota or another Sarasota assisted living facility?
If you have Harborchase of Sarasota complaints, concerns or wish to investigate suspected misconduct of an assisted living facility or memory care facility in Sarasota County, you may call me for a free, confidential consultation at (941) 485-7600. Our law firm fights to hold bad assisted living corporations accountable and to improve the quality of care for all Floridians. James Edwin Keim, Elder Abuse Lawyer.
File under Harborchase of Sarasota lawsuits complaints reviews