An advocacy group for nursing home patients picketed the ShermanOaks headquarters of a statewide nursing home chain Tuesday morning,protesting what they said was inadequate treatment of its elderlyresidents.
California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform a nonprofit SanFrancisco-based group, said that between 1993 and 1994 nursing homesrun by Golden State Health Centers Inc. accrued $300,750 in finesfrom the state for various deficiencies, including neglect ofpatients.
Officials at Golden State, which runs 10 area convalescentfacilities and 15 statewide, did not dispute that fines were leviedbut said the allegations of mistreatment are misguided.
'The majority of citations occurred in two of our 15 nursinghomes which we acquired over the last three years,' said Sol Goldner,Golden State's vice president and chief financial officer, referringto facilities in San Diego and Bakersfield.
'They were troubled facilities, in bad shape, and you cannotexpect things to get better overnight,' Goldner said. 'We have putmillions of dollars into those facilities and they are now in fullcompliance with all regulations.'
Seventeen protesters circled the sidewalk in front of theVentura Boulevard office building, beating drums and chanting 'shameon Golden State' and 'high profits, lousy care.'
'The numbers don't lie,' said Kim Kelley, special projectscoordinator for the advocacy group, citing 73 citations against thechain by the state in 1993 and 1994.
'This is not acceptable,' Kelley said. 'If you look at thestatistics these people are among the worst in the state.'
Inside, company officials explained that health departmentofficials carefully monitor the quality of care at convalescenthospitals and extreme violations would result in the closing offacilities.
'The nursing home industry is the most highly regulated segmentof health care,' Goldner said. 'Every complaint is investigated.'
A Los Angeles County Health Services Department official whooversees area nursing homes under contract with the state said thatGolden State's citations are not egregious.
'It doesn't stand out in my mind as being on either the positiveor negative side of facilities,' said Victor Arkin, chief of thehealth facilities division. 'Some facilities are better than others.The quality of facilities is in direct relation to the quality oftheir staff which can change fairly regularly.'
