By Kay Kaylor
Special to The PREVIEW
I advocate for residents at Pine Ridge, a 24-hour extended care home, and BeeHive, an assisted living residence, as the part-time long-term care ombudsman for Archuleta County. Federal and state laws protect residents to promote quality of care and quality of life.
For four days, June 17-20, three Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) surveyors, based in Grand Junction, interviewed Pine Ridge residents, staff and family members while checking records, observing and inspecting. They determined whether or not Pine Ridge complies with state and federal laws, including those in the first two phases of the revised federal regulations.
As elsewhere in the country, the ombudsman knows ahead of time when the surveyors will arrive, but must keep it secret so that facilities cannot prepare ahead. The ombudsman is asked to send a presurvey with specific questions and often attends the “exit interview.” This year, staff and some residents heard the summary of the survey results in separate rooms.
I will detail the survey results after the completion of the Summary Statement, which the surveyors must write within 10 business days. Pine Ridge then has 10 calendar days to submit a Plan of Correction for any deficiencies, or tags, cited, even if appealing any of the citations.
The prior CDPHE survey was completed March 22, 2018, and surveyors try to return within 15 months. As required, the recertification survey results for the past five years are provided in a notebook near the entrance at Pine Ridge, and the prior-year survey is published online at medicare.gov under “Nursing Home Compare.”
For further information, please call me at 403-2164 or send an email to ombudsman2@sjbaaa.org.
