Heartwood Extended Healthcare: ADL Care Failures - WA
That was March 24. The inspection had started the week before.
The resident, identified in inspection records only as Resident 1, had been managing her own supply while the facility's central supply coordinator acknowledged there was no formal process for residents to request briefs, no documentation of whether any had been delivered, and no way to confirm whether Resident 1 had ever gotten any from staff at all.
The Director of Nursing Services, identified as Staff B, told inspectors that Resident 1 not receiving briefs "did not meet their expectations" and that briefs were "always available for residents who needed them." The central supply coordinator, Staff G, said the facility had run low on briefs in the past month because of a supplier issue.
Those two statements were never reconciled.
Across the same inspection, a second resident, Resident 9, told inspectors she was not receiving showers consistently. Her electronic health record showed four showers in the past 30 days. She has polyneuropathy, diabetes, and dysphagia, and was able to communicate her own needs clearly.
The reason for the shortage was not complicated. One certified nursing assistant, Staff L, was responsible for bathing every resident in the building. Staff L told inspectors they did not always get to every resident but would try to offer a shower on an alternate day. Staff L also said they did not always turn in their shower tracking sheets, and sometimes didn't enter completed showers into the electronic health record because of internet connectivity problems.
That last detail matters. The Director of Nursing acknowledged that the expectation was for residents to be offered a shower on their scheduled day, or offered a makeup shower if no staff were available. Four showers in thirty days suggests neither option was being consistently delivered, and the incomplete records make it impossible to know what actually happened on the days nothing was entered.
The DNS told inspectors on March 30, the final day of the inspection, that the facility was in the process of hiring another shower aide and revising the shower schedule.
The process had not yet produced a second aide.
Both violations were cited at the lowest level of harm, minimal harm or potential for actual harm. That classification reflects the regulatory framework's language, not necessarily the residents' experience. Resident 9 lived with nerve disease and diabetes, conditions that make skin integrity and hygiene directly relevant to her medical care. Resident 1 was managing incontinence while undergoing treatment for rectal cancer, and had resorted to buying her own supplies from a drugstore.
Neither resident's name appears in the public record. What appears is what each of them said when an inspector asked: one pointed to a bag on her chair, and one described what it was like to wait for a shower that didn't come.
The facility, at 1649 East 72nd Street in Tacoma, had no formal system for residents to request incontinence supplies, no documentation trail to verify delivery, and one staff member carrying the bathing responsibilities for an entire building. The Director of Nursing described both situations as falling short of expectations. The inspection closed on March 30, 2026.
Resident 1's bag of drugstore briefs was still on the chair.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Heartwood Extended Healthcare from 2026-03-30 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 18, 2026 · Our methodology
HEARTWOOD EXTENDED HEALTHCARE in TACOMA, WA was cited for violations during a health inspection on March 30, 2026.
The inspection had started the week before.
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.