Avanti Senior Living gets new ownership after Peoria license is revoked

94-bed assisted living facility in Peoria under new ownership after previous owners based in Texas Avanti Senior Living State health officials said the company failed to correct a pattern of negligence that led to the loss of its license.

The facility, formerly known as Avanti Senior Living in Peoria, is now temporarily licensed as Spring Gardens Peoria, under the ownership of the Mesa-based company. Avista Senior Living. Residents “have the opportunity to remain in their current living environment if they wish,” according to a news release from the Arizona Department of Health Services.

“The Department appreciates the efforts of staff and partners to resolve the unfortunate situation with Avanti and will continue to work with Avista Senior Living as it undertakes day-to-day operations and maintenance,” the statement said.

State health officials shared a letter with residents and families of Avanti Senior Living at Peoria stating that leaders misled residents and families about the situation.

“We were recently alerted that Avanti Senior Living, a senior living facility in Peoria, was directing residents to make alternative living arrangements. The guidance did not provide a clear timeline and misled residents as to when the facility’s license was revoked and the reason behind the revocation.” ” he says in the letter.

“Despite spending more than a year preparing residents for the possibility of the facility closing, it appears Avanti is denying the reality and seriousness of the situation and attempting to portray it as merely a paperwork error.”

Avanti Senior Living and Avista Senior Living did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday and Friday. According to Avanti websiteIt operates no other facilities in Arizona.

The company’s other six facilities are in Texas and Louisiana, and the company’s website Friday did not list Peoria as one of its locations. Avanti Senior Living in Peoria was first licensed to operate in Arizona in 2020, state records show.

State health officials say they are trying to negotiate with Avanti

When the health department is considering revoking a facility’s health care license, Arizona administrative code, repeated violations of law or rules, patterns of violations, violations, types of violations, severity of violations, and number of violations.

Multiple citations for resident safety at Avanti Senior Living in Peoria over almost two years led the Arizona Department of Health Services to notify the company in August 2023 that the state intended to revoke the facility’s license.

An administrative law judge approved the license revocation on May 28, 2024, and Avanti’s subsequent efforts to stop the revocation were unsuccessful. State records show the license was revoked as of Nov. 6.

“Throughout the process, the Department was willing to negotiate a settlement agreement to avoid cancellation, but Avanti chose to challenge the Department’s decision through the judicial process,” the health department’s statement said. The statement was included.

The problem at the facility was not that residents were in immediate danger or that anyone was physically harmed, but rather that repeated violations and failure to correct them were leaving residents facing negative consequences, the state Department of Health compliance officer said. He testified to Administrative Law Judge Amy Haley in May.

“Ultimately, cancellation was a last resort,” Haley wrote. “In this case, the Department assessed that 24 violations were cited, 10 of which were repeated deficiencies (some for the third time) and general non-compliance by the licensee.”

Facility leaders “displayed a blatant disregard for rules, procedures, and laws,” Haley wrote.

An inspection of the facility in March 2023 found two dozen alleged violations, ranging from administrative paperwork errors to the hiring of an unqualified employee. State inspectors also found multiple repeat violations, including that the facility failed to develop and administer a staff training program on how to prevent falls and help residents recover from falls; this is “a failure that poses a risk to the physical health and safety” of residents.

Other repeated violations, according to state inspectors, suggested residents were not made aware of vaccines offered at the facility, according to state records.

Judge: Expecting a bad result is irresponsible

Avanti Senior Living filed a $4,000 fine with the state on Jan. 24 after repeated violations for failure by a nurse or other medical doctor to document updates on residents’ service needs, including whether residents needed assistance with basic activities of daily living, including using the bathroom. He agreed to pay in dollars. .

In one case, the service plan for a resident whose condition had worsened and required “hands-on assistance” with bathing, grooming, and using the restroom stated that the resident was able to perform these tasks independently. A state investigator wrote that this inaccuracy placed the resident at safety risk due to lack of needs being met by caregivers.

In her May 28 decision to revoke the facility’s license, Haley wrote that residents’ service plans guided residents’ needs. Haley wrote that if the document is not up-to-date, the resident’s needs may be overlooked or unmet, especially if there is staff turnover.

In her written decision, Haley scolded Avanti for arguing there was no evidence that the actions put residents at direct risk.

“Of course, the licensee did not mean that a resident must suffer harm from the violations before the violation could be considered a direct risk. At that point, it is no longer a ‘risk’ by definition,” Haley wrote. “Waiting for results is irresponsible and the antithesis of health care.”

Avista Senior Living’s new operators operate 11 facilities throughout Arizona, as well as several facilities in California, Idaho, New Mexico, Utah and Washington. The Avanti facility will be the third facility Avista operates in the West Valley and its first assisted living care.

“We will monitor progress closely to ensure a smooth transition of services and continuity of care,” Arizona health department officials said in the news release. he said. “We encourage residents and family members to share their concerns about quality of care during this transition. avistaseniorliving.com“

Reach health reporter Stephanie Innes at: [email protected] or follow him on X in advance On Twitter: @stephanieinnes.

State health officials say they are trying to negotiate with Avanti

Judge: Expecting a bad result is irresponsible

Related Posts