Valleycrest Can’t Pass Muster Feds Cut Medicare, Medicaid, But Parent Firm Not Giving Up

The Valleycrest nursing home lost its long battle with regulators Friday as the federal government cut off money to the home.

But the parent company of the Spokane Valley facility vows to spend $1 million of its own cash to keep the home open another three months.

In a letter to residents, a Unicare executive explained that the company hopes to persuade regulators to give the home one more chance to stay in business.

Valleycrest failed what state officials called its “last chance” inspection this week when federal and state regulators spent three days inside the home.

“Even with our assistance and with them bringing in corporate people, they still haven’t been able to come back into compliance,” said Edith Coleman, district manager of the state Department of Aging and Adult Services.

If a home stays out of compliance for more than six months it risks losing the Medicaid and Medicare money that pays the bills.

When Valleycrest was cited for poor care and failing to investigate an abuse allegation this week, it was the home’s fifth failed inspection in the past seven months.

One of the home’s 80 residents told inspectors, “They’re rough. They’re mean, and they hurt me when they turn me,” according to the inspection report completed Friday.

The allegation was shared with nursing staff, but two days later inspectors discovered it still hadn’t been investigated.

Inspectors were also troubled by the case of a woman with painful feet. It turned out her shoes were too small.

She had inflamed bunions and toenails that needed to be cut. A look at the files showed that the woman’s problem had already been well documented a week earlier, when a skin specialist looked at the wounds on her feet and noted a bone was almost exposed.

But even after noting the shoe problem to staff, inspectors later found the wobbling woman in the same tight shoes.

“It’s egregious,” Coleman said, of the foot care the woman received.

Valleycrest spokesman Mike Mervis didn’t want to discuss the inspection. “There is no good that will come out of us making any comment about that inspection or any other inspection.”

Mervis said the company is optimistic that the federal government will accommodate the company’s request to recertify the home for Medicare and Medicaid.

“I believe we can and will succeed in our effort to be recertified,” he said.

Mervis said the company realizes it would have to pass two consecutive inspections to achieve the goal. “Are we dead certain we can do that? Absolutely not.”

Not only has Valleycrest failed its last five inspections, but it’s also been cited during two spot responses to complaints.

In April, inspectors said a woman was going hungry even though she was asking for food. A worker also had withheld insulin from a diabetic as punishment, inspectors noted.

Valleycrest officials disagreed with the complaints, saying they did not mistreat residents.

As it now stands, Medicare and Medicaid money will continue up to one month to give time to place residents in other homes. After that, Valleycrest will be forced to finance all the nursing care out of its own pocket.

Nursing home officials indicate Spokane’s 22 homes can easily absorb Valleycrest’s 80 residents if they have to leave.

Regulators have only shut off federal funding for one other Spokane nursing home in the past 19 years.

, DataTimes