(The Center Square) – A report by a federal watchdog says 18 out of 20 surveyed adult day care centers in Florida participating in a federal program were not compliant with federal and state guidelines.
The U.S. Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General wrote the report about the centers participating in the Florida Home and Community-Based Services Waiver program.
This funds home and community-based services for people age 65 and older, or disabled residents age 18 or older eligible for Florida Medicaid. These people require nursing home-type care, but choose to live in the community.
Florida operates the program under a federal waiver to its Medicaid state plan and it funds adult day care services for Medicaid beneficiaries who reside at home.
Of the 20 providers reviewed by the federal government, 13 did not comply with one or more health and safety requirements and 17 weren’t in concordance with administrative requirements.
Some of the findings included:
Toxic chemicals in unlocked areas that were accessible to participants in 11 facilities.
• Insufficient maintenance in eight facilities.
• Water damage in eight facilities, with mold in one center.
• Exposed electrical wiring in four facilities.
• Unclean conditions in three centers.
• Alcoholic beverages in one facility.
Auditors found 120 instances of provider noncompliance including 39 instances of noncompliance with health and safety requirements. The remaining 81 instances were related to administrative requirements, “some of which could significantly affect the health and safety of recipients.”
The Office of Inspector General recommends the 120 noncompliance instances be corrected and asks Florida to better monitor the centers for compliance and help improve their facilities, staffing, and training.
In a response letter, state officials disagreed with the findings, but didn’t concur or non-concur with them and left a detailed list of steps it has and will take in response to the recommendations.
The state said that at least 12 of the centers scrutinized were impacted by the devastation of Category 4 Hurricane Ian in September 2022.
State officials say that four of the 18 facilities examined by the inspector general were in Tampa Bay and Fort Myers in areas hardest hit by the storm.
