Cottonwood Healthcare, a 98-bed skilled nursing home in Woodland, received an "AA" citation and a $90,000 fine by state officials for the death of an 89-year-old resident, the Sacramento Business Journal reports. The citation is the most severe under state law.
A Department of Health Services investigation found that staff members did not comply with orders to regularly monitor the resident for dehydration. Since the incident, the nursing home has created a plan to prevent future problems, according to state officials.
Cottonwood senior administrator James Ellis said state officials were "premature in issuing the citation, and we fully intend to appeal it" (Robertson, Sacramento Business Journal, 1/25).