KIMBERLY, Idaho — Federal health inspectors identified 14 separate deficiencies at Oak Creek Rehabilitation Center of Kimberly during a standard health inspection completed on December 5, 2025, raising questions about oversight practices at the skilled nursing facility.
Failure to Report Critical Resident Changes
Among the deficiencies documented, inspectors flagged the facility under federal regulatory tag F0646 for failing to notify appropriate authorities when residents receiving services for intellectual or developmental disabilities experienced significant changes in their health condition.
Federal regulations require nursing homes to promptly alert the relevant state and local authorities whenever a resident enrolled in intellectual disability or mental disorder services undergoes a meaningful shift in physical or cognitive status. This reporting obligation exists to ensure that specialized care teams can reassess treatment plans and adjust services accordingly.
The violation was classified at Scope/Severity Level D, meaning it was an isolated incident where no actual harm was documented but inspectors determined there was potential for more than minimal harm to residents. While Level D falls on the lower end of the federal severity scale, the underlying failure — not communicating health changes to outside authorities — can have compounding consequences if left unaddressed.
Why Timely Reporting Matters
When a resident with intellectual or developmental disabilities experiences a significant change in condition, timely notification serves several medical purposes. It triggers a reassessment of the individual's care plan, ensures that any new symptoms or behavioral changes are evaluated by specialists familiar with the resident's baseline functioning, and creates a documented record that protects both the resident and the facility.
A significant change in condition can include sudden weight loss, new onset of confusion, increased falls, changes in mobility, or behavioral shifts that may indicate pain, infection, or medication side effects. For residents with intellectual or developmental disabilities, these changes can be more difficult to identify because communication barriers may prevent the individual from clearly describing their symptoms.
Delayed reporting can result in missed diagnoses, inappropriate medication management, and prolonged periods where a resident does not receive the level of care their condition requires. In the most serious scenarios, unreported changes can lead to preventable hospitalizations or a gradual decline in overall health.
Fourteen Deficiencies Signal Broader Concerns
While the F0646 citation addresses a specific reporting failure, the fact that Oak Creek Rehabilitation Center received 14 total deficiencies during a single inspection cycle points to broader operational and compliance challenges. Federal nursing home inspections evaluate facilities across dozens of regulatory categories, including resident rights, quality of care, infection control, staffing, nutrition, and environmental safety.
A facility receiving 14 citations in one survey suggests that inspectors found problems across multiple areas of operation. For context, the national average number of deficiencies per nursing home inspection is approximately 8 to 9, according to data maintained by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Oak Creek's total of 14 places it notably above that benchmark.
Facility Response and Correction Timeline
Oak Creek Rehabilitation Center submitted a plan of correction in response to the inspection findings. According to federal records, the facility reported that corrections were implemented as of January 9, 2026, approximately five weeks after the inspection date.
A plan of correction is a required response in which the facility outlines the specific steps it will take to address each cited deficiency, prevent recurrence, and ensure ongoing compliance. These plans are reviewed by the state survey agency and are subject to follow-up verification during subsequent inspections.
What Families Should Know
Families with loved ones at Oak Creek Rehabilitation Center can access the facility's complete inspection history, including all 14 deficiencies and their corresponding correction plans, through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Care Compare website. This federal database provides detailed information about every Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing home in the country, including staffing levels, quality measures, and inspection results.
Residents and their families have the right to request copies of the most recent inspection report directly from the facility. Federal law requires nursing homes to make these documents available upon request and to post a notice informing residents of their availability.
The full inspection report for Oak Creek Rehabilitation Center of Kimberly contains additional details on all cited deficiencies beyond the F0646 notification failure addressed in this article.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Oak Creek Rehabilitation Center of Kimberly from 2025-12-05 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
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