KPBS in recent years has put the spotlight on the treatment and care of some of San Diego County’s most vulnerable people: residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit in March 2020, KPBS found startlingly high case numbers, poor infection control and staffing shortages in a number of local facilities.
These discoveries spurred us to launch further investigations, most notably into how state regulators investigate complaints of poor care and abuse in nursing homes.
What we found was shocking. An accused sexual predator was allowed to continue to work inside several East County nursing homes even as the state investigated him for violating women in his care. Following our stories, police arrested and charged a former caregiver we had profiled. In March 2022, a jury convicted him of sexually assaulting a nursing home resident.
One facility that has stood out throughout our reporting is Avocado Post Acute in El Cajon. Our most recent stories revealed that the 256-bed home has received more than 620 complaints since 2019, which is four times the state average for facilities with 100 or more beds.
Among the complaints substantiated by state investigators were physical abuse, sexual assaults and one case in which a man was allegedly strangled by his roommate.
Federal regulators planned to cut funding for Avocado this spring, citing “abuse, exploitation and poor care,” but then quickly rescinded the order, stating the nursing home was in “substantial compliance.” This decision shocked advocates for nursing home residents. They say the findings of state investigators reveal an unsafe place for people to live.
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Federal regulators abruptly reversed a decision to decertify the troubled Avocado Post Acute nursing home in April. -
"I want the state of California to start paying attention to what's going on inside these nursing homes.” -
KPBS spoke with an expert on what to do when searching for care for a loved one. -
For years, Matthew Fluckiger job-hopped among nursing facilities in eastern San Diego County, assaulting women at each stop, before finally being arrested in 2020. -
KPBS Midday EditionCalifornia Department of Public Health investigators knew that certified nursing assistant Matthew Fluckiger had been accused of sex crimes by women at multiple nursing homes in El Cajon and La Mesa. Yet, the agency waited years to revoke his license. -
KPBS Midday EditionAvocado Post Acute nursing home in El Cajon has, in recent years, a large number of complaints to state and federal agencies alleging that the facility routinely falls short in its responsibility to care for residents. -
KPBS Midday EditionIn recent years, residents at Avocado Post Acute provided its residents with far less care from registered nurses than regulators expected while reporting millions in yearly profits, according to a KPBS analysis of its finances. -
A driver at the facility was assigned to be a caregiver for two elderly COVID-19 patients. He received little training and was not tested for the virus before interacting with other residents. -
KPBS Midday EditionState officials say their plan would establish a more frequent presence in nursing homes. Critics argue it would weaken oversight by turning the state’s inspectors into consultants.
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As COVID-19 vaccinations near completion and cases drop 98 percent, there's growing pressure on the state to allow families to visit nursing home residents inside their rooms. -
An expert says its crucial for friends and family to stay in touch with home-bound seniors during outbreak.
