The complaint that triggered the October inspection centered on what should have been a straightforward records request. The family member asked for Resident 8's medical records on a specific date. The facility didn't fulfill the request.
When the family member came back to try again, they informed the facility that the resident had passed away a couple of weeks earlier. Instead of providing the previously requested records, staff told them they now needed a letter of administration because the resident was deceased.
The medical records staff member explained his process to inspectors: verify authorization, complete a form, send to corporate, who forwards to a legal firm for approval, then gather and send records electronically or by mail. He keeps electronic copies of requests and records sent out.
But that process never completed for this family's request.
During the inspection, the medical records employee provided an email confirming the complainant had indeed requested Resident 8's medical records while the resident was still alive. He recalled the family member coming to the facility to notify them of the resident's death and requesting the records again.
That's when staff told them about the letter of administration requirement.
The inspector pressed the issue. The complainant had requested the medical records before the resident died. Why wasn't that original request fulfilled?
The Director of Nursing acknowledged what the timeline revealed: the family member first requested medical records prior to Resident 8's death, but the facility never provided them.
The facility's own medical records staff confirmed receiving the initial request. They had an email proving it. Yet no records were sent.
When the family member returned after the resident's death, seeking the same records they had requested weeks earlier, the facility imposed a new requirement. The letter of administration demand came only after the resident had died — not when the original, valid request was made.
Federal regulations require nursing homes to provide residents or their legal representatives access to medical records. The requirement doesn't disappear when staff fail to act on valid requests. It doesn't reset when circumstances change.
The medical records employee described keeping electronic copies of requests and records sent out. But there was no record of sending anything to this family member, despite having their documented request.
The facility's multi-step approval process — from staff to corporate to legal firm — apparently stalled somewhere along the way. The complainant made a valid request while authorized to receive the records. The facility received it, confirmed it, then let it sit.
Weeks passed. The resident died. The family member returned, still seeking the same medical records they had requested when the resident was alive.
Instead of fulfilling the original request or explaining the delay, staff created a new hurdle. The letter of administration requirement emerged only after the death, applied retroactively to a request made before it would have been necessary.
The Director of Nursing's acknowledgment was straightforward: they received the request before the resident died, but never fulfilled it. No explanation for why the established process failed. No mention of attempts to contact the family member about delays or additional requirements.
The inspection found the facility failed to ensure medical records were provided when requested. One resident, one family member, one unfulfilled request that should have been resolved while the resident was still alive.
The family member made two attempts to get the same records. The first, when they had clear authorization as the resident's representative. The second, after being forced to return following the resident's death. Neither attempt succeeded.
The facility's own documentation proved they received and recognized the validity of the original request. Their own staff confirmed the timeline. Their own Director of Nursing acknowledged the failure to act.
What started as a routine records request became a bureaucratic maze that outlasted the resident's life. The family member who sought medical information while their loved one was alive ended up empty-handed after their loved one was dead.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Sligo Creek Healthcare from 2025-10-21 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.