Whittier Hospital Medical CTR D/P SNF

In the surveyor’s words

From the most serious findings on record at Whittier Hospital Medical CTR D/P SNF, in the surveyor’s own words.

• Actual harm, isolatedF658Mar 7, 2024

  Based on observation, interview and record review, the facility failed to meet professional standards of quality for 1 of 4 sampled (Patient 2), a pediatric patient who was unable to verbalize needs and unable to move extremities, did not suffer from burns of being laid on top of a heated humidifier tubing for unknown length of time. This deficient practice resulted in patient 2 suffering burn injury on his right arm and right back. Finding: A review of patient 2's admission record indicated the patient was originally admitted to the facility on [DATE] with admit diagnosis chronic respiratory failure (condition when lungs cannot get enough oxygen into the blood or eliminate enough carbon dioxide from the body). […]

• Actual harm, isolatedF689Mar 7, 2024

  Based on observation, interview and record review, the facility failed to ensure 1 of 4 sampled (Patient 2), a pediatric patient who was unable to verbalize needs and unable to move extremities, did not suffer from burns of being laid on top of a heated humidifier tubing for unknow length of time. This deficient practice resulted in patient 2 suffering burn injury on his right arm and right back. Finding: A review of Patient 2's admission record indicated the patient was originally admitted to the facility on [DATE] with admit diagnosis chronic respiratory failure (condition when lungs cannot get enough oxygen into the blood or eliminate enough carbon dioxide from the body). […]

• No harm, potential for more than minimal, patternF812Jun 11, 2026

  Based on observation, interview and record review, the facility failed to ensure proper food storage and infection control practices were implemented in accordance with the facility's Policy and Procedure (P&P) titled Standards for storing food and supplies, and Infection Control - Food and Nutrition Services by failing to: 1. Ensure thermometers were kept inside refrigerators 1 and 2. 2. Ensure a pitcher of pre-made iced tea was not left in the refrigerator beyond safe use by date of 6/8/2026. 3. Ensure Dishwasher (DW) 2 used the correct test strip to test for the quaternary ammonium (QUAT-a quaternary ammonium, a type of sanitizing solution used to sanitize food contact surfaces) sanitizer. 4. […]

• No harm, potential for more than minimal, patternF693Apr 25, 2025

  Based on observation, interview, and record review, the facility failed to ensure the head of bed for two (2) of three (3) sampled residents (Resident 2 and Resident 11) was maintained at 30 to 45 degrees (unit of measurement) while receiving gastrostomy tube (g-tube, a small tube inserted through a surgical opening in the abdomen directly into the stomach used to deliver nutrition, fluids, and medications to individuals who cannot eat or drink safely through their mouth) feeding, in accordance with the physician's order and facility's policy and procedure. This deficient practice had the potential to cause complications including aspiration (a medical sense, occurs when food, liquid, or foreign objects enter the airway and lungs) that can lead to hospitalization and death. Findings: 1. […]

• No harm, potential for more than minimal, patternF812Apr 25, 2025

  Based on observation, interview, and record review, the facility failed to ensure the food service area was maintained in a clean, sanitary, and functional manner while providing proper food handling in accordance with the facility's policy and procedure by failing to ensure: 1. One refrigerator (Refrigerator #10) was clean, without water drippings, and was not rusted (a form of corrosion visible on steel surfaces exposed to moist). 2. One can opener was not chipped and rusted. 3. The food processor was in good condition and without a brown, black to yellowish discoloration and calcium build ups (hard crusty deposit on surfaces and/ equipment). […]