Audit: Agency failed to inspect adult care homes
HONOLULU — The Hawaii agency tasked with regulating adult care homes issued licenses to many without completing inspections, according to a state audit.
The Office of the Auditor examined 214 of the 493 care homes licensed by the state Office of Health Care Assurance last year, finding about half were allowed to operate with either an expired license or a license “hastily issued before all required steps” were completed.
“We found that OHCA’s primary objective is to support the continued operations of those care homes, not to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the facilities’ residents as mandated by statute,” State Auditor Les Kondo said in the report.
At least eight care home had 20 or more deficiencies, but they were granted license renewals before the issues were resolved, according to the report.
Over the last decade, the state Department of Health has not cited any care home operators or terminated a license even when substantial or repeat deficiencies were found, according to the report. The agency also does not have written enforcement guidelines for operators that do not comply with care standards.
The department has corrected the deficiencies, and the report does not reflect current conditions, said Bruce Anderson, director of the health department.
“Our first and foremost obligation as a regulatory agency is to ensure residential care homes comply with all applicable laws and provide quality care in a safe environment,” Anderson said.
The department noted that it has reported 277 cases of possible abuse or neglect of care home residents over the past five years.
“Any risks to the safety, health and wellbeing of older adults in an adult residential care home are immediately investigated and appropriate action taken,” Anderson said.
Honolulu hires private security guards to patrol city parks
HONOLULU — Honolulu is funding two private security guards to patrol city parks, aiming to curb illegal homeless activity.
The city is paying $44,000 for a one-month pilot program for two guards from Hawaii Protective Association to watch the nine parks in the urban core around the clock.
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said he hopes the patrols will help reduce the number of homeless-related complaints.
“No one group has a right to our public spaces,” Caldwell said. “People demand that they be safe in our parks and on our streets.”
The security guards will rotate among Aala Park, Ala Wai Community Park, Ala Wai Neighborhood Park, Crane Community Park, Kamamalu Neighborhood Park, Moiliili Neighborhood Park, Mother Waldron Neighborhood Park, Old Stadium Park, and Pawa?a In-Ha Park.
The security guards will be accompanied by ongoing social service assistance that aims to get more people off the streets, said Marc Alexander, executive director of the city’s Office of Housing.
The outreach efforts are on track get more than 4,300 people housed this year, Alexander said.
The city hired private security guards earlier this year to lock bathrooms and gates at night at all 41 parks across the island after more than 600 vandalism acts were recorded in city parks in three years.