Clover Health Care: Resident Dignity Violations - ME
Clover Health Care transported Resident #1 to the emergency room on November 14 after the person grabbed an inspector's hand hard enough to make a popping sound and said "I should hit you, but I won't." The facility then told hospital staff it could not take the resident back.
Emergency room physicians tried multiple times to discharge the resident back to Clover. An ED note from November 14 stated the nursing home "is seeking placement at a different facility that is more equipped for geriatric psychiatric patients" but concluded "there is no acute indication for admission to the hospital."
The next day, doctors wrote that Clover "was not comfortable or confident in managing his condition and was requesting the patient be placed in another facility." Again, physicians found "no medical indication for inpatient admission to the hospital."
By November 17, doctors noted "no inpatient hospitalization at this time is indicated." The resident remained in the emergency department.
Hospital leadership finally admitted the resident on November 18 after noting they were "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 Senior Vice President of Operations at the hospital told inspectors on November 24 that Resident #1 "did not meet the requirements for hospital level of care, and the facility has been refusing to taking [him/her] back." The hospital official stated that "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."
Federal regulations require nursing homes to document physician orders when transferring residents due to safety concerns. Clover's own transfer policy states that "documentation regarding the reason for the transfer or discharge will be provided by a physician" when a resident's behavior endangers facility safety.
The facility administrator told inspectors on December 24 that Clover had not refused to take the resident back, claiming they only wanted "to ensure an appropriate safety plan was in place for staff and residents." But the administrator could not provide written physician documentation justifying the transfer as required by facility policy.
Hospital records painted a different picture. By November 23, a hospital nurse reported the resident had "a very flat affect" and was "very somnolent." There had been "no aggressive behavior or IM meds in 5 days" and the person was "taking medications whole with ice cream or pudding."
The aggressive episode that triggered the hospital transfer occurred during a state inspection on November 14. The resident had approached inspectors, and while a staff member stayed nearby to redirect, the person was able to grab the inspector's hand. The facility called an ambulance that morning.
Earlier that same day, the resident had been taken to a different hospital for similar behavior, according to the November 14 emergency room note. That hospital had already evaluated the person twice in 24 hours before Clover sent them to the second facility.
Emergency physicians at the second hospital repeatedly noted that while a geriatric psychiatric facility might benefit the resident, there was no medical justification for keeping them hospitalized while arranging such placement. The nursing home was described as "an appropriate place for him to await transfer to a geriatric psychiatric facility."
The resident was finally transferred back to Clover after the 11-day hospital stay. Federal inspectors cited the facility for failing to follow proper transfer procedures and for effectively abandoning a resident at the hospital despite medical professionals' determinations that hospitalization was unnecessary.
The violation represents what inspectors classified as minimal harm with potential for actual harm affecting some residents.
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.
Emergency room physicians tried multiple times to discharge the resident back to Clover.
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.