Reference

RCCA Services, Rescare Statements On Investigation

(CBS 5) The following are statements provided from RCCA Services and Rescare on a CBS 5 Investigation about the quality of care in some Bay Area homes for the developmentally disabled.

Statement from RCCA Services:

The injuries to Theresa Rodriguez were serious and we were devastated by the event that led to them. As her caregiver for 8 years, she was a part of our family. Ms. Rodriguez lived in the McGarvey house, a single-family home in a nice neighborhood for a number of years.  

Ms. Rodriguez sustained serious injuries and that causes us great distress. Fortunately, she has recovered sufficiently to return to the activities she participated in before the accident.  We are very concerned that the county continues to keep Ms. Rodriguez in an acute care facility that neither fosters her independence nor offers her hope of community interaction. 

Ms. Rodriguez has a right to normalcy and the support and companionship she received in a familiar, more homelike environment.

RCCA Services acknowledges its responsibility to provide for the health, safety and well-being of every individual who depends on us for their care, which is why we have extensive systems in place to ensure as best we can that accidents like this do not occur. However, sometimes the best of systems cannot prevent some accidents or change the actions of some employees.

Since this incident, we have adopted even more stringent methods to prevent accidents like this from occurring. We have anti-scald devices in our homes, but we do not depend solely on them to determine if the water is safe.

We test hot water at all water sources that clients use or have access to and in the baths before every shower. If the water is 110 degrees or above, staff should not bathe the person and they must call their supervisor immediately. We have a protocol that requires staff to run water for a period of time, put the water into a cup and then test the temperature. All temperatures are documented. Anytime a director is in a home, they either check the hot water temperature or have a staff do it in front of them to ensure they know the procedure.

Staff members are also trained on our 911 procedures when they're hired and frequently thereafter. In an emergency situation, RCCA Services requires employees to first call 911 and then contact their supervisor. This has always been an RCCA policy. There are postings in the homes directing employees to do that.          

TRAINING
RCCA has a standardized annual calendar of trainings as well as training specifically customized based upon the needs of the clients in a particular home or area. The medication administration training is approved by the Department of Developmental Services. If medication errors occur employees go through a coaching process to ensure training procedures are well understood. Staff with English as a second language are able to demonstrate an understanding of their training and an ability to perform their jobs correctly.
Many of the people we serve and their families have English as a second language. We reach out to families to ensure they don't have issues that have gone unanswered. We are also looking at other ways we can help workers improve their English and better understand any cultural differences.  

RCCA has a zero tolerance policy regarding tampering with documents or changing records. Any allegation is intensely investigated and if it is substantiated immediate action is taken. RCCA requires compliance training for all employees annually.  There is an 800 action line number posted in every location, informing employees, parents and clients to call if they feel there has been a violation of federal, state, local or company regulations. Employees and families also have action line numbers for state agencies if they feel there is a question about the care people are receiving. In fact, employees have an obligation to immediately report to the regulatory bodies any instances that might endanger the health and safety of the individuals in their care. If they do not immediately report these instances, they are violating state law and RCCA policy.

QUALITY OF SERVICES
In the last year RCCA has provided more than 1.25 MILLION hours of care to California citizens.

RCCA has time and again proved that it provides quality services to the individuals who depend on us for care. We strive every day to provide the best services to our state's most vulnerable citizens. We know how important the work we do is. A number of our employees have dedicated their lives to the individuals in our care. Many of the clients have been with us throughout the 12 years we've been providing services in California. They have seen great successes in their lives. Our goal is to ensure their safety, preserve their dignity and provide them with opportunities to live as independently as possible.

All our homes are monitored by the Department of Public Health Services. Our services are constantly regulated with intense oversight from a number of authorities not the least of which is the clients' families and guardians. Overwhelmingly, the families and guardians of the people we serve are happy with the services RCCA provides.     

Family members in our homes are very involved with their loved ones. They have a choice about which provider will serve them.  They have chosen RCCA. 
Jackie Smith
Executive Director
RCCA Services

ResCare's Response:

"At the request of our attorneys, since anything said now could unfairly influence the current court case, we must respectfully decline an on-camera interview."

"Please recognize the grief we have about the injuries to Ms. Rodriguez. We care greatly about the people who depend on ResCare and its affiliates. We do not take our responsibilities lightly."

"Although ResCare and its affiliates are the nation's largest providers of these very complex, intensely regulated and challenging services, our contact with the people who depend on us is in small, intimate settings and on a very personal level. We provide excellent care to the people we serve. Accidents and errors do happen as they do in any service company, but we strive to keep them to a minimum and to learn from them."

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