Linda Kincaid Reports: Elder Abuse: Wildwood Canyon Villa Staff Feed Narcotics to Helpless Resident

Investigations continue to find alarming  elder abuse  and egregious violations of California licensing regulations at Wildwood Canyon Villa, a San Bernardino County residential care facility for the elderly (RCFE). Documents obtained pursuant to subpoena show that resident Jean Swope was given the narcotic opioid drug oxycodone several times a day without physician instructions.

RCFEs are not medical facilities. The intent of these “assisted living” facilities is to provide residents with assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs). RCFE staff can lawfully “assist with self-administration” of medication. But they cross the line when they administer drugs to a resident that cannot determine her need for a medication.

Wildwood Canyon Villa crossed that line many times. They often crossed that line multiple times in a single day.

Nurse’s Medication Notes for Jean Swope document that Wildwood staff administered the narcotic opioid Percocet (oxycodone plus acetaminophen) forty times in just ten days from September 20 – 29, 2011.
Wildwood LVN  Candi Hull testified that Wildwood sometimes obtained instructions from a physician for administration of medication. Sometime they did not obtain instructions. On no occasion did Wildwood maintain the required written documentation of instructions from Swope’s physician.

Med Aide April Pledger, a young caregiver with no high school diploma or medical training, testified that Wildwood Med Aides sometimes check with an LVN prior to administering medications. Sometimes Med Aides administer medication with no oversight whatsoever.

Pledger testified that Med Aides crush medication with a pill crusher, mix with pudding, and then, “We feed it to them.”

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Elder Abuse:  Wildwood Canyon Villa Staff Feed Narcotics to Helpless Resident