Woodland Convalescent Center: Sling Failure Drop - WA
Staff E, one of the two CNAs who performed the transfer, described the moment to inspectors on March 27. "We had barely lifted her up and off the bed when the bottom left loop became disconnected and she fell," she said. "We were really shocked and couldn't figure out what happened."
Then she said something that explained quite a lot. "A lot of the slings are old."
The incident at Woodland Convalescent Center prompted a complaint inspection, completed March 30, 2026, that found the facility caused actual harm to at least one resident. The inspection report does not describe the nature or severity of Resident 1's injuries beyond noting that her fall resulted in injury, a fact the Director of Nursing Services acknowledged directly.
Staff D, the second CNA involved in the transfer, told inspectors she remembered hearing the sling loops click into place before they lifted Resident 1. But something had gone wrong with the hardware. "She thinks one of the round metal disks might have been a little loose," the inspection report notes. The metal disks are the connectors that lock the sling loops onto the lift's hooks.
The charge nurse, Staff F, assessed the sling after the fall and said it looked to be in good condition. She pulled the Hoyer lift and the sling from use and sent them to the Maintenance Department for evaluation.
The facility had been inspecting its mechanical lifts and slings on a monthly basis, according to the Maintenance Director, Staff G. Monthly maintenance logs reviewed by inspectors covered January through December of 2025 and the first three months of 2026. Not one entry flagged a concern with any sling or lift.
That record, covering 15 months of documented inspections, either means the equipment had been fine until it wasn't, or it means the inspections weren't catching what needed to be caught. The inspection report does not resolve that question. What it does record is Staff E's account of what changed after Resident 1 fell: "We are now examining the slings every time we use one and the Hoyer lifts too. We're looking at the little metal disks now too to make sure they're not loose. We look at this each time now."
The facility moved quickly after the incident. Staff D confirmed there had been significant training in the days that followed. Staff G told inspectors a new policy was being put in place requiring each resident to have their own labeled and dated sling, with replacements ordered annually. New slings were already being ordered.
The Director of Nursing Services, Staff B, was candid with inspectors when they spoke on the afternoon of March 30. "The facility had expected a citation as Resident 1's fall from the Hoyer sling resulted in injury," she said. "While they don't know exactly how this occurred, they were doing everything they can to prevent recurrence and harm to other residents."
That candor is notable. It is also not an explanation for how a sling that passed monthly inspection failed during a routine transfer, or for why staff were only beginning to scrutinize the metal connector disks after a resident had already fallen.
Staff E put it plainly. They are all on hyper alert now, she told inspectors. Especially with the slings.
That heightened attention came after Resident 1 was dropped.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Woodland Convalescent Center 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 20, 2026 · Our methodology
WOODLAND CONVALESCENT CENTER in WOODLAND, WA was cited for violations during a health inspection on March 30, 2026.
Staff E, one of the two CNAs who performed the transfer, described the moment to inspectors on March 27.
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.