Assisted living facility cited again
HOLTVILLE — Additional citations were recently issued by the state against the Blossom Valley Inn assisted living facility for not maintaining appropriate food and administrative services.
Some of the reported deficiencies included a malfunctioning freezer, inadequate supplies of perishable and nonperishable foods, and the absence of a qualified food service coordinator.
The deficiencies were discovered during an unannounced July 16 annual inspection by a state Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Division analyst.
The division analyst’s facility evaluation report, available at the DSS website, stated that time constraints had prevented the annual inspection from being completed but that all immediate health and safety concerns were addressed.
The report also stated that the facility’s management would take action to address the reported deficiencies in advance of the respective deadlines.
As a result of the inspection, Blossom Valley Inn has until Aug. 9 to ensure its freezer is fixed so that it can maintain a temperature of 0 degrees Fahrenheit. It reportedly registered 29 degrees Fahrenheit during the inspection.
It also has until Aug. 9 to hire or contract the services of an individual qualified to administer the facility’s food services, such as a nutritionist, dietitian, home economist or similarly qualified consultant.
“Sta statements verifies (sic) that last contracted dietitian has not been to the facility on a regular basis,” the inspection report stated.
The facility was given just three days following the July 16 inspection to ensure that a two-day supply of perishable food and a seven-day supply of non-perishable food was present at all times. The inspection revealed that such requirements were not being maintained.
The July 16 inspection also determined that the facility’s administrator, Renato Baylon, was not onsite enough to provide adequate attention to its management and administration.
“Sta statements also show that Administrator Baylon is not physically present at the facility an adequate amount of time in order to manage and administer the facility operation effectively,” the report stated.
Blossom Valley Inn had until Wednesday to provide verification that either Baylon, of El Cajon, or a newly designated administrator had taken over administrator responsibilities. A request for comment from the facility’s administration was not returned by press time.
Similarly, the facility was cited for not employing a staff member who is responsible for the regular planning and conducting of activities as required, the inspection report stated.
It now has until Aug. 15 to ensure that a staff member is taking responsibility for planning and conducting activities for all of its residents, in accordance with state regulations.
The discovery on July 16 of a knife and razor blade in a resident’s bedroom resulted in a citation, as well. The reported deficiency required that staff had taken part in in-service training by Wednesday on the risks posed by dangerous items and chemicals.
In the past, Blossom Valley Inn has been cited for multiple deficiencies related to the health and safety of its guests, as well as citations for minimum wage violations.
In March, the facility was issued a $10,000 civil penalty for failing to provide adequate care and supervision for a resident in 2017, according to a report by DSS’s Community Care Licensing Division.
A Community Care Licensing Division report from earlier this year also reported that the facility was in the process of being sold.
An employee, who asked to remain anonymous, on Wednesday said it appears as though the sale may happen, but yet expressed uncertainty about the matter because staff members have not been kept informed.
Records on file with the county Clerk/Recorder’s Office reveal that a notice of default was registered on Feb. 22 for the Blossom Valley Inn property, which is held in a trust where Baylon acts as a trustor.
On July 22, a modified deed of trust was submitted to the agency, stating that Baylon was granted a $350,000 loan by the San Diego-based lender The Loan Company.