Department of Health indefinitely suspends license of Winlock in-home services agency
By Emily Fitzgerald / [email protected]
The Washington state Department of Health has indefinitely suspended the license of Caregivers 4 Mom and Dad, an in-home services agency based in Winlock.
The initial charges issued on April 30, 2024, allege that Caregivers 4 Mom and Dad, located at 294 Sears Road in Winlock, failed to submit a plan of correction to address issues related to patient medications, fall prevention and general patient care concerns that were uncovered in a health and safety investigation.
Investigators conducted an on-site health and safety investigation of Caregivers 4 Mom & Dad on April 19, 2023, and conducted off-site investigations on April 11, April 24, April 28, May 2 and May 4 of that same year.
On May 12, 2023, investigators issued a statement of deficiencies to Caregivers 4 Mom & Dad, finding that the agency:
- Failed to implement medication self-administration with assistant policies and procedures, and failed to describe personnel roles regarding medication self-administration with assistance
- Failed to coordinate with other agencies involved in a client’s care
- Failed to implement nurse delegation policies, resulting in clients receiving services from unqualified caregivers
- Violated clients’ rights to be cared for by appropriately trained or credentialed personnel
- Failed to include the client or client’s representative in the ongoing development of a plan of care
- Failed to appropriately update and maintain clients’ plans of care
- Failed to document services provided during each client contact
Caregivers 4 Mom & Dad reportedly submitted a plan of correction (POC) on May 27, 2023, but it was found to be “not acceptable or incomplete,” and was sent back on June 2 for revisions. A request for further revisions was made on June 23.
Caregivers 4 Mom & Dad reportedly sent an email on Oct. 11, 2023, asking what amendments were still needed, and the DOH sent a response on Oct. 13 with an outlined list of needed revisions.
“The respondent still did not send a corrected POC,” the DOH alleges in the statement of charges, which were filed on April 30, 2024.
The state Department of Health sent Caregivers 4 Mom and Dad an updated statement of charges on May 1, 2024, informing them of the allegations, that there was cause to suspend their license and informing them of their legal rights and their right to respond within 20 days and request a hearing and settlement.
“Caregivers was given many opportunities to respond to and address the allegations, however they failed to do so properly,” the state Department of Health said in a news release on Feb. 27.
The default order indefinitely suspending Caregivers 4 Mom and Dad’s license went into effect on Feb. 19, 2025, according to case records.
Caregivers 4 Mom and Dad’s Facebook page was still active as of Thursday afternoon. The last post made to the page is dated Aug. 30, 2024.
The Department of Health’s Unlicensed Practice Program has also issued Caregivers Administrator Betty Jo Kitchen a cease-and-desist order due to her lack of a registered nurse’s license.
Kitchen was notified of that letter in April 2024, according to previous Chronicle reporting.
The state has confirmed Kitchen, who “has never held a registered nurse license in Washington state,” was operating “an in-home services agency where she conducted health care for patients and described herself as a home care nurse,” according to previous Chronicle reporting.
Kitchen’s Facebook and LinkedIn profiles still showed her as an administrator for Caregivers 4 Mom & Dad as of Thursday, Feb. 27.
Caregivers 4 Mom & Dad first received its license to operate as an in-home services agency on Sept. 5, 2018, according to the state Department of Health.
The legal documents on this case can be viewed online through the Facilities Inspections and Investigations Search on the Department of Health website. Copies can be requested by calling 360-236-4700.
Anyone who believes a health care facility is in violation of licensing laws is encouraged to call 360-236-2620 to report their complaint. Complaints can also be submitted via email to [email protected].
link
