PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 3114 PRINTER'S NO. 4025
No. 2182 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY STABACK, BELFANTI, BIANCUCCI, BLACKWELL, BOBACK, CURRY, FABRIZIO, FREEMAN, GEORGE, GIBBONS, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HORNAMAN, JAMES, JOSEPHS, KOTIK, KULA, LEACH, McGEEHAN, McILVAINE SMITH, MOUL, MOYER, MUNDY, M. O'BRIEN, PARKER, PASHINSKI, PRESTON, SHIMKUS, SIPTROTH, K. SMITH, WALKO, WANSACZ, WATSON, WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD, YUDICHAK AND CALTAGIRONE, JANUARY 22, 2008
AS RE-REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON AGING AND OLDER ADULT SERVICES, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, JUNE 24, 2008
AN ACT 1 Amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), entitled "An 2 act to consolidate, editorially revise, and codify the public 3 welfare laws of the Commonwealth," further providing for 4 onsite complaint investigations and plans of correction. 5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 6 hereby enacts as follows: 7 Section 1. The act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known 8 as the Public Welfare Code, is amended by adding a section to 9 read: 10 Section 211.1. Onsite Complaint Investigations and Plans of 11 Correction.--(a) The department shall initiate onsite 12 investigations of complaints at personal care homes and assisted 13 living residences as follows: 14 (1) If the complaint is a Level 1 complaint with a high <-- 15 regulatory risk, including, but not limited to, incidents 16 related to immediate fire safety, physical assault or abuse, no
1 food or water, no heat in winter, no staff or serious illness 2 outbreak, the onsite inspection shall be initiated within 3 twenty-four hours of the complaint intake. 4 (2) If the complaint is a Level 2 complaint with a medium <-- 5 regulatory risk, including, but not limited to, incidents 6 related to inadequate staffing, quality of care issues, 7 nutrition, sanitation or medication administration, the onsite 8 inspection shall be initiated within seven calendar days of the 9 complaint intake. 10 (3) If the complaint is a Level 3 complaint with a low <-- 11 regulatory risk, including, but not limited to, incidents 12 related to menus, policies, assessments, support plans, 13 financial management or contracts, the onsite inspection shall 14 be initiated within twenty-one calendar days of the complaint 15 intake. 16 (b) The department shall contact and coordinate the 17 investigation with appropriate local agencies, including the 18 Area Agency on Aging, specifically the Protective Services or 19 Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, County Mental Health/Mental 20 Retardation, local or Pennsylvania State Police, local code 21 enforcement or fire officials. 22 (c) The department shall conduct an unannounced onsite 23 inspection of the personal care home or assisted living 24 residence within the time frame established under subsection 25 (a)(1), (2) or (3). The complaint investigation shall include 26 the following components and adhere to the following time 27 frames: 28 (1) Conduct an entrance interview with administrator or 29 designee, providing general information regarding the complaint, 30 but maintaining confidentiality of residents and complainant. 20080H2182B4025 - 2 -
1 (2) Interview relevant subjects to the complaint such as 2 residents, families, staff or other witnesses. 3 (3) Preserve evidence by obtaining signed witness 4 statements, making copies of documents and taking photographs. 5 (4) Review relevant documents such as resident, staff and 6 facility records. 7 (5) Observe physical site conditions related to the 8 complaint. 9 (6) Contact the appropriate manager in the department 10 regarding Level 1 high-risk issues. 11 (7) Ensure that immediate threats are resolved before 12 leaving the personal care home or assisted living residence. 13 (8) Record all relevant information, including violations, 14 as directed by department policies and procedures. 15 (9) Conduct an exit interview with the administrator or the 16 most appropriate employe onsite and provide an opportunity to 17 respond to preliminary findings, unless the disclosure may 18 jeopardize ongoing aspects of the investigation. 19 (10) Determine and discuss findings with the appropriate 20 manager in the department and determine if each allegation is 21 founded, unfounded or requires further investigation. 22 (11) Additional collateral contacts, interviews and site 23 inspections shall be made as indicated by the seriousness of the 24 complaint allegation and based on the initial onsite inspection. 25 (12) The complaint investigation, including all collateral 26 contacts, interviews and onsite inspections, must be concluded 27 within fifteen days following the onsite inspection. An <-- 28 exception to this time line may be granted by the appropriate 29 manager in the department. 30 (d) Within two FOUR business days of the conclusion of the <-- 20080H2182B4025 - 3 -
1 complaint investigation for Level 1 high-risk complaints and, <-- 2 within five TEN business days of the conclusion of the complaint <-- 3 investigation for Levels 2 and 3 LEVEL 2 COMPLAINTS AND WITHIN <-- 4 15 BUSINESS DAYS OF THE CONCLUSION OF THE COMPLAINT 5 INVESTIGATION FOR LEVEL 3 COMPLAINTS, the department shall 6 prepare a violation report if applicable, review the violation 7 report with the appropriate manager in the department and 8 transmit the violation report to the personal care home or 9 assisted living residence for corrective action. 10 (e) If a violation report is filed PROVIDED by the <-- 11 department, the personal care home or assisted living residence 12 must file SUBMIT a plan of correction within seven calendar days <-- 13 of receipt of the violation report. 14 (f) Within five TEN business days of receiving the plan of <-- 15 correction from the personal care home or assisted living 16 residence, the department shall review the plan of correction 17 and refer the plan to the appropriate manager in the department 18 for plan approval or denial. 19 (g) If the personal care home or assisted living residence 20 does not submit a plan of correction within the required seven- 21 day time frame, the department may suspend, revoke or limit a 22 license, or may issue a ban on admissions for the personal care 23 home or assisted living residence. 24 (h) Once the plan of correction has been approved by the 25 department, the follow-up complaint inspection of the personal 26 care home or assisted living residence shall be conducted onsite 27 after the longest target date for compliance has been reached as 28 noted on the plan of correction, but no later than ninety days 29 after the initial onsite complaint inspection by the department 30 to ensure compliance with the plan of correction. 20080H2182B4025 - 4 -
1 (i) If the plan of correction is denied DISAPPROVED, the <-- 2 department shall contact the personal care home or assisted 3 living residence within twenty-four hours of the denial FORTY- <-- 4 EIGHT HOURS OF THE DISAPPROVAL decision and require an alternate 5 plan within forty-eight hours OF CORRECTION WITHIN FOUR BUSINESS <-- 6 DAYS. If the personal care home or assisted living residence 7 returns an approved plan of correction within the required time 8 frame, the department shall conduct a follow-up onsite 9 inspection of the personal care home or assisted living 10 residence as outlined under subsection (h). 11 (j) If the alternate plan of correction is not resubmitted 12 by the personal care home or assisted living residence within 13 the required time frame, the department may suspend, revoke or 14 limit a license, or may issue a ban on admissions for the 15 personal care home or assisted living residence. 16 (k) Within ten BUSINESS days of the conclusion of the <-- 17 investigation and determination on each of the complaint 18 allegations, the department shall send a complaint response 19 letter to the complainant. 20 (L) THE DEPARTMENT MAY EXCEED THE TIMELINES RELATING TO A <-- 21 LEVEL 3 COMPLAINT IF IT DETERMINES THAT RESOURCES ARE OTHERWISE 22 NECESSARY TO ADDRESS RISKS TO THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OTHER 23 RESIDENTS IN THE PERSONAL CARE HOME OR ASSISTED LIVING 24 RESIDENCE. 25 (M) FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION: 26 "LEVEL 1 COMPLAINT" SHALL MEAN A COMPLAINT WITH A HIGH RISK, 27 INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, INCIDENTS RELATED TO IMMEDIATE 28 FIRE SAFETY, PHYSICAL ASSAULT OR ABUSE, NO FOOD OR WATER, NO 29 HEAT IN WINTER, NO STAFF OR SERIOUS ILLNESS OUTBREAK. 30 "LEVEL 2 COMPLAINT" SHALL MEAN A COMPLAINT WITH A MEDIUM 20080H2182B4025 - 5 -
1 RISK, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, INCIDENTS RELATED TO 2 INADEQUATE STAFFING, QUALITY OF CARE ISSUES, NUTRITION, 3 SANITATION OR MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION. 4 "LEVEL 3 COMPLAINT" SHALL MEAN A COMPLAINT WITH A LOW RISK, 5 INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, INCIDENTS RELATED TO MENUS, 6 POLICIES, ASSESSMENTS, SUPPORT PLANS, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OR 7 CONTRACTS. 8 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days. A9L67BIL/20080H2182B4025 - 6 -