Hunter
01/14/26
A West Branch nursing home that has faced allegations of sexual assault and contributing to a resident’s death has been cited for 16 regulatory violations covering a wide range of recurring problems, from staffing shortages to infection control.
Iowa Capitol Dispatch reports the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing has proposed, but held in suspension, more than $16,000 in state fines against Crestview Specialty Care, a 65-bed nursing home that is part of the Iowa-based chain Care Initiatives. The department typically holds state fines in suspension while the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services determines whether a federal penalty is warranted.
The violations cited include insufficient nursing staff; failure to provide the required nursing services for residents; hazards in the building; failure to protect residents’ rights; failure to provide a safe, clean, homelike environment; inadequate quality of care; failure to treat and prevent pressure sores, and inadequate infection control.
Inspectors reported that one certified nursing assistant told them the homes did “not have enough staff scheduled on a routine basis.” As a result, she said, employees were not able to provide residents with all of the care they needed. She told inspectors, “It has been brought to management’s attention numerous times and nothing changes.”
A registered nurse at the home told inspectors there was “definitely a lack of staff working at the facility at any given time,” adding that she had, on numerous occasions, informed the home’s director of nursing that residents’ needs weren’t being met but had never noticed any difference in the subsequent staffing levels.
A link to the full story by Iowa Capital Dispatch can be found with this story at 1630 KCJJ dot com and on the KCJJ app.