Clover Health Care: Psychotropic Drug Violations - ME
Clover Health Care transported the resident to an acute care hospital on November 14 after the person grabbed an inspector's hand hard enough to make a popping sound and stated "I should hit you, but I won't."
The resident had been exhibiting aggressive behavior toward staff. During one incident, when staff tried to redirect the resident away from other people, the person changed direction toward them instead.
Emergency room physicians documented their frustration with the facility's refusal to readmit the resident across multiple visits. On November 14 at 2:49 p.m., one doctor wrote that the nursing home "is seeking placement at a different facility that is more equipped for geriatric psychiatric patients" but noted "there is no acute indication for admission to the hospital."
The physician stated the current nursing home "is an appropriate place for him to await transfer to a geriatric psychiatric facility."
By November 15, another emergency room note revealed the facility "was not comfortable or confident in managing his condition and was requesting the patient be placed in another facility that could better manage his outburst of aggression." The doctor concluded "there is no medical indication for inpatient admission to the hospital."
Two days later, on November 17, physicians again documented "no inpatient hospitalization at this time is indicated."
Hospital leadership grew concerned about the prolonged emergency department stay. On November 18, an addendum noted leadership "would like to hold him in the ED for another 24 hour period" while "still trying to get a plan in place with facility as they are not willing to create a safe discharge plan at this time."
The resident was finally admitted to the hospital on November 18 at 3:54 p.m.
A senior hospital administrator told inspectors on November 24 that the resident "did not meet the requirements for hospital level of care, and the facility has been refusing to taking him back." The administrator stated "the facility has the same resources for psychiatric evaluations as the hospital does and there is no medical reason for Resident #1 to not return to the facility."
During the hospital stay, medical staff reported the resident showed significant improvement. A nurse told the facility on November 23 that the patient "has a very flat affect that he is very somnolent. There have been no aggressive behavior or IM meds in 5 days."
The resident was taking medications normally "with ice cream or pudding" and receiving IV fluids for hydration.
Federal regulations require nursing homes to provide physician documentation when they determine a resident's behavior endangers facility safety. The facility's own transfer policy, dated October 18, states such documentation must come from a physician when "the facility determines a resident's clinical or behavioral status endangers the safety or health of individuals in the facility."
When inspectors interviewed the facility administrator on December 24, she denied refusing to take the resident back. She claimed the facility "wanted to ensure an appropriate safety plan was in place for staff and residents for his return."
However, the administrator could not provide written physician documentation indicating the resident's condition endangered facility safety, as required by federal regulations.
The resident remained hospitalized for 11 days before finally being transferred back to Clover Health Care. Hospital records show the emergency department visits began when the facility stated it "cannot return" the resident, leading to multiple unnecessary medical evaluations and an extended hospital stay that physicians determined was medically inappropriate.
The case illustrates how nursing homes can effectively abandon residents at hospitals when behavioral issues become challenging, leaving emergency departments to manage long-term care situations they're not designed to handle.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Clover Health Care from 2025-11-24 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
Data source: Official federal inspection data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Editorial process: AI-synthesized regulatory data, reviewed for accuracy by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: June 20, 2026 · Our methodology
CLOVER HEALTH CARE in AUBURN, ME was cited for violations during a health inspection on November 24, 2025.
During one incident, when staff tried to redirect the resident away from other people, the person changed direction toward them instead.
Health inspections identify deficiencies that facilities must correct. Violations range from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the full report below for specific details and facility response.