DSHS fines long-term care facility after finding residents’ rights were violated
A long-term residential facility for seniors in Lacey was issued a $1,000 civil fine by the Washington state Department of Social and Health Services last week after an investigation found that the facility violated residents’ rights as protected under state law.
In a letter shared with McClatchy by Rep. Laurie Dolan, D-Olympia, and Sen. Sam Hunt, D-Olympia, DSHS said that Bonaventure “failed to ensure residents had the right to be free from interference during a meeting with their legislative representatives, and failed to ensure staff treated residents with respect and dignity.”
DSHS noted that these failures resulted in residents “being upset, disappointed, uncomfortable, angry, and not having a chance to speak.”
“Individuals who reside in long-term care facilities, such as Bonaventure of Lacey, have the right to receive appropriate services, be treated with courtesy, and continue to enjoy their basic civil and legal rights,” DSHS said in the letter.
The investigation was initiated in early June, after Dolan and Hunt attempted to meet with residents at the facility. The meeting was then “hijacked” by management when residents attempted to air their grievances, according to a letter sent by the two lawmakers to the CEO of Bonaventure.
The Washington State Long-Term Care Ombuds forwarded the request for an investigation to DSHS after Dolan and Hunt contacted the agency.
McClatchy first wrote about the incident, which has since prompted the two Olympia legislators and their seatmate Rep. Jessica Bateman, D-Olympia, to consider legislation protecting senior residents living in independent living facilities, similar to a resident’s “bill of rights.”
Long-term residents have rights protected under current Washington state law, however, as Dolan noted in previous reporting by McClatchy, there are varying levels of oversight for assisted living and independent living facilities, which can lead to several issues.
In the most recent letter from DSHS to legislators, the agency noted that “DSHS has regulatory jurisdiction over the licensed assisted living portion of the facility, not the independent living portion.”
Bonaventure has the right to appeal the decision by requesting a formal hearing. However, it is unclear yet whether they will do so because the company did not provide a comment when contacted by McClatchy.
This story was originally published August 15, 2022 at 5:15 AM with the headline "DSHS fines long-term care facility after finding residents’ rights were violated."
