Menlo nursing home: State denies application Menlo nursing home: State denies application (February 25, 2004)

By David Boyce

Almanac Staff Writer

The state has denied the application of a Vacaville couple -- Prema and Antony Thekkek -- to take over operation of a nursing home in Menlo Park after finding numerous violations of state law in one of the nine other nursing homes the couple operates.

In a February 18 letter to Ms. Thekkek denying a license to operate Menlo Park Place Healthcare Services at 1275 Crane St., the Department of Health Services explained its action by citing three serious and 20 lesser patient-care violations at a Santa Rosa nursing home Ms. Thekkek operates.

Operation of Menlo Park Place reverts to Atlanta-based Mariner Health Care unless and until the owner finds an applicant the state will approve, said the nursing home's administrator, Jeff Maggard. Mariner could not confirm Mr. Maggard's statements by the Almanac's press time.

"I'm frankly pleased to see that the state took a second look and a more thorough look at the application," said San Mateo County Supervisor Rich Gordon, who with his colleagues on the Board of Supervisors passed a resolution last month asking the state to deny the license.

"We always base our decisions on the complaint history," said health department spokeswoman Norma Arceo. The department received the resolution, but it was not a factor in the decision to deny the license, she said.

At the Creekside Convalescent & Mental Health Rehabilitation Program in Santa Rosa, the health department cited the case of an 88-year-old man who required assistance in using the toilet, but who died after several solo trips to the bathroom -- and several falls.

In another case at the same facility, an 83-year-old woman with a penchant for ignoring instructions died from "respiratory arrest and multiple rib fractures" after a fall, according to health department records. Staff could have intervened with monitoring equipment, floor padding near her bed and a bedside commode, records said.

The Thekkeks have 20 days to appeal the decision.

The letter recognized the Thekkeks' efforts to "improve the performance of your facilities" and encouraged them to "continue the progress you have made ... in order to demonstrate your ability to comply with licensing standards."

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