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32 | On the allegations, "Staff are not allowing residents to choose their own pharmacy without being charged extra" and "Staff are not allowing residents to choose their own incontinence supplies without being charged extra. The LPA's investigation confirmed that the licensee distributed a written notification to residents and responsible parties dated June 1, 2026. Regarding the pharmacy allegation, the notice states that a monthly $450.00 "enhanced pharmacy handling charge" will be billed to residents using outside pharmacies to offset administrative coordination and operational complexities. Regarding the incontinence supply allegation, the notice outlines a new "incontinence support and supply management process." The policy provides residents with two choices: 1) enroll in the facility's preferred partner program, Total Incontinence Management (TIM), for a monthly charge of $250.00, or 2) continue to provide their own products, subject to a monthly $175.00 charge to support the staff's "management, monitoring, coordination, and handling of resident incontinence supplies."
The notice explicitly specifies that all listed updates will take effect approximately 90 days from the date of the notice. At the time of this investigation, the 90-day rollout window has not elapsed; the "enhanced pharmacy handling charge" and the "TIM" supply management processes have not been actively implemented, and no residents have been billed or penalized for utilizing outside vendors.
The LPA interviewed facilities Executive Director (ED) and Director of Operational Excellence (DOE) regarding these policies. The ED and DOE stated that both the $450 pharmacy fee and the $175 supply coordination fee represent permissible service rate increase, provided that a 60-day written notice is issued. Staff maintained that residents retain the option to choose alternative providers, subject to the facility's disclosed operational fees once they go into effect.
Based on the information obtained, the proposed fees are not yet active or currently being deducted from resident accounts and residents retain the option to utilize their preferred pharmacy or provide their own supplies (for a charge). There is not sufficient evidence to prove the alleged violation did or did not occur, therefore the allegation is deemed Unsubstantiated at this time. |