City of Pasadena removed 63 patients from Golden Cross last week
By Terry Miller
Sixty-three patients at the Golden Cross Health Care nursing home in Pasadena were evacuated from the unlicensed facility due to numerous safety and health violations, including serious concerns about protocols related to the coronavirus pandemic, treatment of patients and lack of PPE, authorities said Friday.
The facility had a capacity of 96 and was certified on April 1, 2020, according to state records. At least 72 residents and 32 staff in the facility were confirmed to have been infected with the novel coronavirus, which is also linked to eight deaths there.
“The city went above and beyond in protecting the more than 60 residents at Golden Cross. The healthcare facility, located on North Fair Oaks, failed to do its most fundamental duty in providing its most basic functions of caring for these patients: providing sufficient nutrition and water, and ensuring their safety from not only COVID-19, but also basic medical needs like oxygen, diabetes care, wound care,” city spokeswoman Lisa Derderian told Pasadena Independent.
The cost of care in nursing homes in the U.S. is prohibitive for many, and it can vary widely between regions and states, from around $5,000 to $25,000 per month. How much a nursing home charges depends on its location, staffing levels, the complexity of care offered and the facility’s size and quality. There may also be additional charges for individualized care.
Vice Mayor Tyron Hampton has been calling for investigations into nursing homes since the pandemic of COVID-19 changed each of our lives forever.
“I have been calling for an investigation into our response in these facilities since the beginning of the outbreak,” said Hampton. “We need to make sure all of our residents are being treated with dignity and respect, and I will continue to hold our health department accountable.”
Hampton has been outspoken regarding his belief that the Pasadena Public Health Department (PPHD) “failed to hold senior care facilities accountable.” In the city 61% of cases (518 of 1,058 as of Tuesday) and 88% percent of deaths (75 of 85 as of Tuesday) are associated with long-term care facilities.
Hampton told Pasadena Independent in a written statement that the response he received consistently from PPHD is that it’s an issue of jurisdiction.
“I’ve never been satisfied with that response. I will not be satisfied with that response. I believe that our public health department has a duty to protect the health and well-being of every Pasadena resident, especially those that are among the most vulnerable members of our community. I wish action had been taken sooner, but I’m pleased that the pressure I applied resulted in more specific direction to staff and a greater focus on these facilities. It is imperative that each and every individual who lives in one of these facilities is treated with dignity and respect, and I want each of them to know that we care about their health and well-being. With that being said, I will continue to hold the public health department accountable because it is not a jurisdiction issue, it’s an accountability issue. I hope it’s clear to all of the skilled nursing facilities in Pasadena that I’m watching, and that the Pasadena Public Health Department is watching too.”
Councilman Victor Gordo has also been a vocal proponent for more accountability from these nursing homes. We requested comment from Gordo, however, our calls were not immediately returned.
Pasadena city staff “repeatedly and relentlessly pushed the state to act on the information being collected by its own inspectors, who were regulating Golden Cross. As well as other long-term care facilities,” according to Derderian.
“This facility [Golden Cross] was so unstable, it required assistance from the CAlMat team (EMSA), and the National Guard, and both teams reported concerns about the poor quality of care and lack of improvement when the state issued multiple plans of correction.
“The City had prepared options for alternative SNFs for residents early on, including mobilizing EMS transport multiple times, and having the Ombudsman communicate with families, but was stopped by the state per their request. They issued a temporary suspension of the license but still encountered difficulty implementing the actual movement of residents out, so they asked for assistance from the city. The facility was operating without a license.
“The city went into action immediately and was able to safely transfer all patients to new locations,” Derderian said.
COVID-19 simply unmasked the underlying and ongoing problems at Golden Cross that should be monitored by the state regulatory authority. Once their license was revoked, they were operating without a license, and the city was able to move residents out.
“The facility lied to the city on several occasions on the health status of their patients,” according to Derderian. “Sad when they put greed in front of patient care and welfare and only look at the business aspect not the human beings and families involved.”
There are 75 registered nursing homes providing care for seniors in the greater Pasadena area. By Friday morning, the patients had been relocated to other facilities in Los Angeles County via a convoy of about 30 private ambulances.
Derderian told Pasadena Now that officials working at the Golden Cross could face charges as the state and local police conduct investigations.
