ENCINO, CA — Federal health inspectors identified failures in bladder and bowel continence care at Encino Hospital Medical Center D/P SNF during a standard health inspection completed on December 4, 2025. The facility received four total deficiencies, including a citation for inadequate catheter care and insufficient measures to prevent urinary tract infections among residents.
Catheter Care and Continence Management Gaps
Inspectors cited the facility under federal regulatory tag F0690, which requires skilled nursing facilities to provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel and bladder function. The regulation also mandates proper catheter care and adequate protocols to prevent urinary tract infections.
The deficiency was classified at Scope/Severity Level D, meaning the issue was isolated in nature and no actual harm to residents was documented at the time of inspection. However, inspectors determined there was potential for more than minimal harm — a classification that signals real risk to resident health if the identified gaps are not addressed.
Catheter-associated urinary tract infections, commonly referred to as CAUTIs, are among the most frequent healthcare-associated infections in skilled nursing facilities. Indwelling urinary catheters create a direct pathway for bacteria to enter the urinary tract, and improper maintenance or prolonged use significantly increases infection risk. According to published clinical data, CAUTIs account for approximately 75% of all urinary tract infections acquired in healthcare settings where catheters are used.
Why Catheter Protocols Matter in Skilled Nursing
Urinary tract infections in elderly nursing home residents carry consequences that extend well beyond the urinary system. In older adults, UTIs can trigger confusion, delirium, falls, and sepsis — a potentially life-threatening systemic response to infection. Residents with cognitive impairment may be unable to communicate symptoms such as burning, urgency, or abdominal pain, meaning infections can progress undetected without proper staff monitoring.
Proper catheter care protocols include regular assessment of whether a catheter remains medically necessary, daily hygiene of the catheter insertion site, maintaining a closed drainage system, keeping the collection bag below bladder level, and routine monitoring for signs of infection. Facilities are also expected to implement catheter removal as soon as clinically appropriate, as each additional day of catheterization increases infection risk.
When a facility is found deficient under F0690, it indicates that one or more of these critical steps were not consistently followed. For residents who are incontinent but do not require catheterization, the standard of care includes individualized toileting programs, skin integrity monitoring, and timely changing of incontinence products to prevent skin breakdown and secondary infections.
Four Deficiencies Identified During Inspection
The catheter care citation was one of four deficiencies identified during the December 2025 inspection of Encino Hospital Medical Center's skilled nursing unit. While the specific details of the remaining three deficiencies were not included in this particular citation report, the presence of multiple findings during a single inspection suggests areas of operational concern that required facility-wide attention.
The full inspection results, including all four deficiency citations, are available through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) public reporting system, where families and prospective residents can review detailed findings.
Facility Response and Correction Timeline
Encino Hospital Medical Center D/P SNF reported that corrective measures were implemented by December 8, 2025 — four days after the inspection date. This relatively quick correction timeline indicates the facility moved to address the identified gaps promptly.
Facilities that receive deficiency citations are required to submit a plan of correction to CMS outlining specific steps taken to remedy the violation, measures to prevent recurrence, and a system for monitoring ongoing compliance. State survey agencies may conduct follow-up inspections to verify that corrections have been properly implemented and sustained.
What Families Should Know
Families with loved ones in skilled nursing facilities should be proactive about catheter care. Key questions to ask staff include whether a catheter is still medically necessary, what the facility's protocol is for infection prevention, and how frequently catheter care is documented.
Residents and families can access the complete inspection report for Encino Hospital Medical Center D/P SNF, including all four deficiency citations, through the CMS Care Compare website for a full account of the findings.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Encino Hospital Medical Center D/p Snf from 2025-12-04 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
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