By Chris Miller, Assistant Editor, Facility Market

Senior living centers nationwide have been fined more than $5.5 million for not self-reporting.

Many healthcare facilities have been fined for inadequate COVID-19 practices during the pandemic. Reasons range from failing to report coronavirus-related data, to lack of isolation for the infected, safety violations and more. More than 184,000 nursing home residents have died of COVID-19 as of June 2021, according to AARP research. 

This is a national as well as local issue. Most recently, a Tamba Bay senior living facility was fined $10,500 after letting infected residents with memory loss walk around the care unit they were in. All of the people in this unit suffered from either Alzheimer’s or dementia and their open doors were next to the open doors of COVID-19 negative residents. This facility also failed to carry out a required background check on one of its employees who cared for its residents.

In addition to problems at senior living centers, many other healthcare facilities have faced fines. 

St. Michael medical center in Washington was fined $17,800 by the state for safety violations after a large outbreak at the hospital. The facility was charged with six violations, two being a lack of barriers to ensure social distancing and problems with respirator procedures.

In addition, Parkview Healthcare Center in California was fined $67,500 for four significant violations. In general, the facility did not protect its employees with the proper equipment or even give them sufficient training. The state investigation began due to 14 people dying of COVID-19 at this center from March 2020 to February 2021. Parkview also did not provide separate ventilation or filtration for suspected cases of the disease. 

These are just three specific examples of healthcare facilities being fined for poor COVID-19 practices. Many more exist and have been compiling since the beginning of this pandemic.