City Prosecutor’s Office Launches Multidisciplinary Team to Improve Quality of Life for Seniors in Long-Term Care Facilities

In an effort to leverage resources to advocate for improved regulation and take action where possible regarding systemic deficiencies at long-term care facilities, the city prosecutor’s office has started Pasadena Elderly and Dependent Adult Liaisons (PEDAL).

The multidisciplinary team was started last month and will work to improve the quality of life for elders and dependent adults residing in long-term care facilities through education, community outreach, code enforcement, and prosecution.

“The COVID-19 pandemic magnified systemic deficiencies at these facilities that threatened the lives of Pasadena’s most vulnerable residents,” David Reyes, the city’s director of planning and community development, wrote in a memo to the City Council and Mayor Victor Gordo.

PEDAL includes representation from the City Manager’s Office; the Public Health, Fire and Police departments; the City Prosecutor’s Office; Planning and Community Development, the WISE and Healthy Aging LongTerm Care Ombudsman Program; and Huntington Hospital.

PEDAL has already completed coordinated inspections, escalating operational deficiencies to regulatory agencies, and is actively addressing enforceable violations. Work is also underway for outreach and education via multiple media channels.

Pasadena is home to 15 skilled nursing facilities with a combined 1,201 licensed beds. The health and safety of this medically frail population is entirely dependent on the quality of healthcare provided by for-profit facility operators and their staff, and the ability of the California Department of Public Health to license, inspect, cite and regulate them.

A report by the county Office of Inspector General (OIG) that was included in the March 31 City Council agenda questioned whether the agency responsible for oversight of skilled nursing facilities can effectively address crises and protect residents’ health.

“On June 11, 2020, more than 60 residents were evacuated from Golden Cross Health Care (Golden Cross) in Pasadena after the facility’s license was suspended due to ongoing quality-of-care issues,” the report states.

Less than four months later, health inspectors responded on Oct. 1 to Foothill Heights Care Center in Pasadena where more than 30 residents were evacuated due to excessive indoor temperatures.

According to the report, “the evacuations revealed issues with state and local mechanisms for triggering a crisis response, efficacy of Health Facilities Inspection Division’s (HFID) oversight and enforcement actions and coordination and communication between HFID and partner agencies.”

According to the memo, the city finds it necessary to leverage resources to advocate for improved regulation and take action where possible.

“It was deemed that a multidisciplinary team was required to fulfill this objective,” the memo states.