Care Facility Receives Severe Citation, Fine After Patient Dies of Neglect
The Gateway Care and Rehabilitation Center in Hayward received an "AA" citation -- the Department of Health Services' most severe citation -- and a $75,000 fine after an investigation determined that inadequate care at the facility led to a patient's death in March, the Oakland Tribune reports (O'Brien, Oakland Tribune, 8/17).
According to a report released Tuesday, the facility "failed to provide necessary supervision during mealtime" to a 75-year-old man with Parkinson's disease who had unclear speech and difficulty swallowing. The man was to be on a diet of soft food and monitored during meals.
However, a nurse on March 13 served him the wrong type of food and left him alone during mealtime. He was later found unresponsive by a staff member and died four days later of cardiac arrest and respiratory failure after choking, according to the report.
Gateway has 15 days to appeal the citation and is not required to pay the fine until the appeal is complete.
Gateway representatives would not comment on the citation (Fulbright, San Francisco Chronicle, 8/17).