Inspection Report Summary
The most recent inspection on November 20, 2024, identified deficiencies related to incomplete cognitive evaluations prior to occupancy and annually, as well as service plans not being developed based on evaluations. Earlier inspections showed a recurring pattern of issues with tenant evaluations, service plans, and dementia-specific staff training. Complaint investigations mostly found unsubstantiated allegations, though some substantiated complaints involved tenant evaluations and nurse reviews. Enforcement actions included a $3,000 civil penalty in 2008, but no fines or license actions were listed in the available reports since then. The facility’s inspection history indicates ongoing challenges with evaluation and service planning requirements, with similar deficiencies noted over multiple years.
Deficiencies (last 14 years)
Deficiencies are regulatory violations found during state inspections.
Deficiencies per year
Census
Based on a November 2024 inspection.
Census over time
| Description |
|---|
| Evaluation prior to occupancy was not completed for Tenant #5 before signing the occupancy agreement. |
| Evaluation annually and with significant change was not completed as required for tenants reviewed. |
| Service plans were not developed based on evaluations as required. |
| Name | Title | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Christy Nikkel | Executive Director | Signed the Plan of Correction and is responsible for ensuring compliance with occupancy agreement and assessment completion. |
| Description |
|---|
| Failure to evaluate a tenant's functional, cognitive, and health status annually and with significant change to determine continued eligibility and service needs. |
| Name | Title | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Christy Nikkel | Executive Director | Signed the Plan of Correction letter |
| Description |
|---|
| Program failed to administer medications as ordered for 1 of 7 discharged tenants reviewed. |
| Program failed to complete required evaluations within 30 days of admission for 2 of 5 tenants reviewed. |
| Program failed to evaluate functional, cognitive, and health status as warranted by significant change for 7 of 7 former tenants and 3 of 5 current tenants reviewed. |
| Program failed to initiate discharge or waiver request when tenant exceeded level of care requiring routine two-person assistance. |
| Program failed to develop service plans based on required evaluations for 7 of 7 former tenants and 3 of 5 current tenants reviewed. |
| Program failed to ensure comprehensive nurse reviews every 90 days or as warranted for 4 of 5 tenants reviewed. |
| Program failed to provide 8 hours of dementia-specific education within 30 days of employment for 3 of 7 staff reviewed. |
| Description |
|---|
| Program failed to ensure staff received eight hours of dementia-specific education within 30 days of employment for 4 of 8 staff reviewed. |
| Program failed to ensure staff received at least eight hours of annual dementia-specific continuing education for 2 of 2 staff reviewed over one year. |
| Program failed to include hands-on dementia training for 3 of 8 staff reviewed. |
| Name | Title | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Staff A | Named in deficiency for not completing required dementia training within 30 days | |
| Staff B | Named in deficiency for not completing required dementia training within 30 days and hands-on training | |
| Staff C | Named in deficiency for not completing required annual dementia training and hands-on training | |
| Staff D | Named in deficiency for not completing required dementia training within 30 days, annual training, and hands-on training | |
| Staff E | Named in deficiency for not completing required dementia training within 30 days | |
| Office Director | Confirmed findings on 12-10-19 and 12-11-19 |
| Description |
|---|
| Program failed to consistently ensure the privacy of tenants by staff sending private medical information via personal cell phone text messages. |
| Description |
|---|
| Program failed to obtain evaluation from the Department of Human Services prior to employment of an individual with a crime on their record. |
| Program failed to discharge a tenant who exceeded criteria for admission and retention due to unmanageable incontinence. |
| Program failed to ensure all staff with direct contact with tenants completed at least eight hours of dementia-specific continuing education annually. |
| Description |
|---|
| Failure to complete evaluations of tenants with possible change in condition by the Registered Nurse within required timeframes. |
| Failure of the Registered Nurse to conduct nurse reviews with changes in condition for affected tenants. |
| Name | Title | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Christy Nikkel | Executive Director | Signed Plan of Correction letter |
| Name | Title | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Rose Boccella | Program Coordinator | Signed letter regarding complaint investigation findings |
| Description |
|---|
| Program staff failed to follow policies and procedures regarding incident reports, affecting 1 of 1 tenant identified in the investigation. |
| Name | Title | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Rose Boccella | Program Coordinator, Adult Services Bureau | Author of the cover letter and contact person for the report |
| Certified Nurse Aide (CNA A) | Involved in assisting tenant during incident; named only by role, no full name | |
| Certified Nurse Aide (CNA B) | Assisted CNA A during incident; named only by role, no full name | |
| Executive Director | Mentioned in relation to incident report completion and staff retraining; no full name given | |
| Stephanie Johnson | Director | Facility Director addressed in the letter |
| Director of Health Services | Interviewed regarding incident report and staff training; no full name given |
| Description |
|---|
| Food service personnel failed to consistently receive food safety training as required, with some staff lacking training since 2013. |
| Name | Title | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Stephanie Johnson | Executive Director | Named in Plan of Correction response letter and confirmed food service training status |
| Rose Boccella | Program Coordinator | Author of the Final Incident Investigation & Recertification Monitoring Evaluation Report |
| Description |
|---|
| Evaluations were not completed prior to admission for tenants and functional evaluations were missing or unsigned. |
| Evaluations within 30 days of occupancy and with significant change were not completed timely or properly documented. |
| Service plans did not meet identified tenant needs and were not updated following hospitalizations or significant changes. |
| Nurse reviews were not completed with changes in condition or every 90 days as required. |
| Name | Title | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Rose Boccella | Program Coordinator | Author of the complaint/incident investigation report and contact person. |
| Stephanie Johnson | Executive Director | Named in the Plan of Correction letter responding to the investigation. |
| Name | Title | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Nicole Gosch | Administrator | Administrator of Northern Hills Assisted Living named in the report |
| Lori Miner | RN BSN | Monitor conducting the evaluation |
| Jim Berkley | Program Coordinator | Author of the cover letter for the report |
| Description |
|---|
| Failure to follow accepted professional standards for medication administration, including not cleansing hands between tenants and carrying unlabeled inhaled medication containers. |
| Name | Title | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Lori Miner | RN BSN | Monitor conducting the complaint/incident investigation |
| Description |
|---|
| The checklist lacked documentation of registered nurse observation of each staff member's demonstration of colostomy care to determine competency. |
| Name | Title | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Maribeth Freland | RN | Monitor conducting the evaluation |
| Lori Miner | RN BSN | Monitor conducting the evaluation |
| Name | Title | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Lori Miner | RN BSN | Monitor conducting the investigation |
| Description |
|---|
| The program did not consistently complete functional, cognitive, and health evaluations as needed. |
| The program did not consistently develop or update individualized service plans based on evaluations. |
| The program did not consistently document medications administered and ensure medications were labeled and stored properly. |
| The program did not consistently provide registered nurse reviews at least every 90 days or after changes in condition. |
| The program did not ensure background checks were completed on all employees prior to hire. |
| The program did not completely implement the Plan of Correction submitted. |
| Name | Title | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Streepy | RN | Monitor for complaint investigation |
| Hal Chase | RN, BSN, MPH | Monitor for complaint investigation |
| Gary Troth | Administrator | Named as facility administrator in report |
| Ann Martin | Bureau Chief, Adult Services Bureau | Author of the civil penalty letter |
| Description |
|---|
| Program did not maintain accurate documentation of the incident involving Tenant #1 on March 13, 2004. |
| Program did not provide administration of medications in accordance with applicable rules and Iowa Code. |
| Program did not provide sufficient staff to meet tenants’ identified needs at all times. |
| Description |
|---|
| The program did not evaluate each tenant’s functional and cognitive abilities and health status as needed to determine the needed services. |
| The program did not transfer tenants that met the criteria for exclusion of tenants requiring a higher level of care. |
| The program RN did not conduct 90-day reviews of those tenants receiving health-related care or if there were changes in health status. |
| The program did not have an updated service plan addressing each tenant’s specific needs and expected outcomes as required. |
| The program did not provide sufficient trained staff at all times to fully meet tenant’s identified needs and ensure appropriate training. |
| The program did not complete the criminal background check prior to hire of an employee as required. |
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