Inspection Reports for Northlake House

The visit was a Biennial Construction Follow Up Survey conducted to verify correction of previously identified deficiencies.

Deficiencies have been corrected and no further action is necessary.

The Adult Care Licensure Section and the Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services conducted an annual, follow-up, and complaint investigation on August 15-16, 2024.

The facility failed to ensure that Special Care Unit (SCU) resident profiles were updated quarterly for 5 of 5 sampled residents and failed to ensure that a SCU resident care plan was updated and completed annually for 1 of 5 sampled residents. Interviews revealed that the Special Care Unit Coordinator was responsible for completing these profiles and care plans but had missed completing them, and the Administrator was unaware of these issues.

The visit included a complaint investigation component as stated in the initial comments, but no substantiation status is provided.

The inspection was a Construction Section Biennial Survey conducted to assess compliance with the 2005 Rules for Adult Care Homes of Seven or More Beds and the 2012 edition of the NC State Building Code, section 407 I-2.

Multiple deficiencies were cited including issues with housekeeping and furnishings, fire safety evacuation plans, building equipment maintenance, electrical emergency lighting, plumbing, fire safety systems, door latches, exhaust ventilation, and fire safety components. Some deficiencies were corrected at the time of survey, while others require a plan of correction.

The inspection was conducted due to a complaint investigation regarding the supervision and safety of residents in the Special Care Unit (SCU), specifically related to an incident of a resident eloping from the facility.

The facility failed to ensure proper supervision of residents in the SCU, resulting in one resident eloping from the facility without staff knowledge. The investigation revealed issues with door security and lack of intervention in the resident's care plan to prevent elopement, constituting a Type A2 violation.

The complaint investigation substantiated that Resident #1 eloped from the facility on 02/25/24 through an unsecured door and was found approximately 0.2 miles away on a busy street. The facility lacked proper supervision and door security, placing the resident at substantial risk of harm.

The Adult Care Licensure Section conducted a follow-up survey to verify correction of previous deficiencies related to medication administration.

The facility failed to administer medications as ordered for 2 of 5 sampled residents (#4 and #2), with multiple missed doses documented due to delays in pharmacy refills and communication failures among staff. Medication aides did not consistently request refills timely, and the Resident Care Coordinator did not adequately monitor or follow up on missing medications.

The Adult Care Licensure Section conducted an annual survey on 10/23/19 to 10/24/19 to assess compliance with state regulations for the adult care home.

The facility was found deficient in multiple areas including failure to ensure tuberculosis testing for staff, medication administration errors for multiple residents, and failure to follow infection control procedures during fingerstick blood sugar checks and insulin administration.

Biennial Follow Up Construction Survey to verify correction of previously identified deficiencies.

Some deficiencies were not corrected. The facility was found to have unsafe storage of portable medical oxygen cylinders and a non-working exhaust ventilation system in the housekeeping closet.

The report documents a biennial construction section survey conducted to assess compliance with physical plant and fire safety regulations for an adult care home licensed for 48 special care beds.

The survey identified multiple deficiencies including corridor obstructions, improper storage of portable oxygen cylinders, inadequate fire safety rehearsals, malfunctioning emergency lights, corridor doors that do not close or latch properly, compromised fire-rated walls and ceilings, and failure to maintain required exhaust ventilation in the housekeeping closet.

The Adult Care Licensure Section and the Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services conducted an annual survey on 06/12/18-06/13/18.

The facility failed to ensure that 2 of 4 medication aides (Staff B and Staff E) had successfully completed the medication aide exam within the required 60 days of the clinical skills evaluation and continued to administer medications to residents, constituting a Type B Violation.