AHCA routinely gives itself up to 90 days. Discerning nursing home problems is further complicated because South Florida nursing-home complaint records are sparse, can be hard for the public to obtain and can be difficult to use to assess performance. When The Herald requested all documents for seven South Florida homes, complaint records were completely omitted or so excessively edited that even basic information could not be extracted. A repeat request had to be made for the records, which were then released. In addition, it took the state more than a month to provide all the files.
AHCA authorities say they are trying to address inspection and documentation flaws in the system.
We have on a number of complaint investigations gone there and found immediate jeopardy and serious problems,'' said Marshall Kelley, AHCA chief of inspections. Still, AHCA failed to properly assess when residents were in jeopardy at Jackson Manor Nursing Home, proof that even educated guessing can make delays dangerous. Regulators now acknowledge misjudging when they received a complaint last May that Jackson Manor's air conditioning was failing and that residents were struggling in intolerable temperatures. AHCA inspectors, instead of immediately going out, relied on the assertion of the Miami home's administrator that the air conditioning was under repair. Patient had died One person suffering from dehydration had already died.