Heartwood Extended Healthcare: Grievance Ignored - WA
The resident, identified in inspection records only as Resident 9, has polyneuropathy, diabetes, and dysphagia. They are able to make their needs known.
Inspectors first spoke with Resident 9 on March 23, 2026. The resident said two pairs of jeans were missing, jeans that had only been worn once. They also said they hadn't reported it to staff yet. Three days later, on March 26, inspectors observed Resident 9 tell Staff H, a registered nurse, about the missing clothing. That conversation was the moment the facility's grievance process was supposed to begin.
It didn't.
A review of the electronic health record showed no documentation of Resident 9's concern. The social services director, identified in the report as Staff D, said on March 27 that no grievance related to missing clothing had come to them at all. That same morning, Resident 9 told inspectors they still hadn't been contacted by anyone at the facility about the jeans. The clothes they had on were from the donation closet.
The registered nurse, Staff H, confirmed on March 30 that Resident 9 had in fact reported the missing clothing. Staff H also confirmed they had not filed a grievance.
The administrator, identified as Staff A, told inspectors the same day that the expectation was clear: when a resident reports missing clothing, the staff member who receives that report is supposed to complete a grievance so the concern can be investigated or the resident can be reimbursed. That expectation existed. It just wasn't followed.
What the inspection captured, across a week of interviews and observations, was a gap between what the facility says should happen and what actually happened to one resident trying to account for two pairs of jeans. The nurse heard the complaint and moved on. The social services director never learned about it. The resident kept waiting.
The harm category assigned to this deficiency was minimal, the lowest level on the federal scale. That classification reflects the regulatory framework's assessment of physical risk. It doesn't capture what it means to be a resident with nerve disease and difficulty swallowing, dependent on staff for nearly everything, trying to get someone to look into where your clothes went, and spending a week hearing nothing while wearing whatever the donation closet had available.
Inspectors cited the facility under Washington state administrative code governing grievance procedures. The inspection was completed March 30, 2026.
Heartwood Extended Healthcare is located at 1649 East 72nd Street in Tacoma.
Resident 9 was still waiting to hear something about those jeans.
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
- View all inspection reports for Heartwood Extended Healthcare
- Browse all WA nursing home inspections
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 17, 2026 · Our methodology
HEARTWOOD EXTENDED HEALTHCARE in TACOMA, WA was cited for violations during a health inspection on March 30, 2026.
The resident, identified in inspection records only as Resident 9, has polyneuropathy, diabetes, and dysphagia.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened at HEARTWOOD EXTENDED HEALTHCARE?
- The resident, identified in inspection records only as Resident 9, has polyneuropathy, diabetes, and dysphagia.
- How serious are these violations?
- Violation severity varies from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the inspection report for specific deficiency codes and scope. All violations must be corrected within required timeframes and are subject to follow-up verification inspections.
- What should families do?
- Families should: (1) Ask facility administration about specific corrective actions taken, (2) Request to see the follow-up inspection report verifying corrections, (3) Check if this represents a pattern by reviewing prior inspection reports, (4) Compare this facility's ratings with other nursing homes in TACOMA, WA, (5) Report any new concerns directly to state authorities.
- Where can I see the full inspection report?
- The complete inspection report is available on Medicare.gov's Care Compare website (www.medicare.gov/care-compare). You can also request a copy directly from HEARTWOOD EXTENDED HEALTHCARE or from the state Department of Health. The report includes specific deficiency codes, facility responses, and correction timelines. This facility's federal provider number is 505326.
- Has this facility had violations before?
- To check HEARTWOOD EXTENDED HEALTHCARE's history, visit Medicare.gov's Care Compare and review their inspection history, quality ratings, and staffing levels. Look for patterns of repeated violations, especially in critical areas like abuse prevention, medication management, infection control, and resident safety.