EL CAJON, CA - Granite Hills Healthcare & Wellness Centre was found to have provided no staff training on post-traumatic stress disorder and failed to identify environmental hazards during a federal recertification survey completed January 30, 2025.
Staff Received No PTSD Education
Federal inspectors documented that the facility's Director of Nursing confirmed during an interview that no education had been provided to staff regarding PTSD and its associated triggers. This gap in training is particularly significant in a long-term care setting where residents with PTSD may experience heightened distress from routine care activities, loud noises, sudden movements, or other environmental factors.
PTSD affects a notable portion of the elderly population, including veterans and individuals who have experienced trauma throughout their lives. Without proper training, nursing staff may inadvertently expose residents to triggering situations during daily care routines such as bathing, repositioning, or nighttime checks. Staff who are unaware of PTSD symptoms may also misinterpret a resident's behavioral responses, potentially leading to inappropriate interventions rather than trauma-informed care.
The Director of Nursing acknowledged during the inspection that the facility's Quality Assessment and Assurance (QAA) committee should have been identifying trends related to residents' health conditions, including PTSD, in order to prevent possible decline and promote the highest standard of care.
Environmental Hazards Went Unidentified
In the same interview, the facility's Administrator acknowledged awareness of ongoing maintenance issues but stated that environmental hazards discovered by federal inspectors had not been previously identified by facility leadership. The specific nature of these hazards was documented across the broader 26-page inspection report.
Perhaps most concerning, the Administrator told inspectors she was unaware whether the facility even had a functioning safety committee. She indicated she would be initiating one going forward. A safety committee is a fundamental component of any healthcare facility's operations, responsible for identifying risks, conducting regular environmental rounds, and implementing corrective actions before hazards cause harm.
The absence of a safety committee means there was no systematic process for identifying and addressing physical risks to residents, staff, or visitors. In a nursing home environment where residents may have mobility limitations, cognitive impairment, or sensory deficits, unidentified environmental hazards present an elevated risk of falls, injuries, and other preventable incidents.
Quality Assurance Oversight Fell Short
Inspectors reviewed the facility's own policy on Quality Assessment and Assurance Activities, which stated that the QAA committee would review data from areas the facility believed needed monitoring on a monthly basis to achieve the highest level of quality. However, the inspection findings suggest this policy was not being effectively implemented.
A properly functioning QAA program serves as an early warning system for care deficiencies. Monthly data reviews should capture patterns in resident incidents, staffing concerns, maintenance requests, and clinical outcomes. When a QAA committee fails to identify that staff lack training on a condition like PTSD — or that environmental hazards exist within the building — it indicates a broader breakdown in the facility's internal oversight mechanisms.
What Proper PTSD Care Requires
Trauma-informed care in nursing homes involves several key components. Staff should be trained to recognize signs of PTSD, which can include flashbacks, hypervigilance, sleep disturbances, and avoidance behaviors. Care plans for residents with PTSD should document known triggers and outline specific approaches for minimizing distress during daily activities.
Standard protocols call for individualized assessments that account for each resident's trauma history. Environmental modifications — such as lighting adjustments, noise reduction, and consistent staffing assignments — are basic measures that can significantly reduce PTSD-related episodes in long-term care settings.
Looking Ahead
The inspection findings, documented across a 26-page federal report, indicate that Granite Hills Healthcare & Wellness Centre faces the task of building several foundational safety and quality systems that should have already been in place. The establishment of a safety committee, implementation of PTSD-specific staff training, and strengthening of the QAA process represent baseline expectations for licensed nursing facilities.
Readers can review the complete federal inspection report for full details on all documented deficiencies at Granite Hills Healthcare & Wellness Centre. The facility is located in El Cajon, California.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Granite Hills Healthcare & Wellness Centre, LLC from 2025-01-30 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
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