F0912 F912: Provide rooms that are at least 80 square feet per resident in multiple rooms and 100 square feet for single resident rooms.
B

Room Size Deficiency in Multiple Resident Rooms

Lake Balboa Care CenterVan Nuys, California Survey Completed on 03-30-2025

Summary

The facility failed to provide the required minimum square footage per resident in ten of its 26 rooms, as observed during a recertification survey. Specifically, the rooms in question did not meet the regulatory requirement of at least 80 square feet per resident in multiple-resident rooms and 100 square feet in single-resident rooms. The rooms identified were 101, 102, 105, 107, 110, 112, 115, 117, 119, and 121, with square footage per resident ranging from 76 to 79.5 square feet, which is below the mandated minimum. Despite this deficiency, observations and interviews with residents and staff indicated that the space was sufficient for residents to move freely and for staff to provide care without restrictions. The facility had submitted an application for a Room Variance Waiver, which was dated 3/28/2025, to address the space deficiency. The waiver request indicated that the rooms, although smaller than required, did not interfere with the free movement of wheelchairs or other mobility devices and did not adversely affect the residents' health, safety, or well-being. Interviews with residents and staff confirmed that the rooms provided adequate space for care and privacy, and no concerns were raised regarding the lack of space. The facility's policy, last reviewed in February 2025, reiterated the requirement for room sizes, highlighting the discrepancy between policy and practice.

Penalty

No penalty information released
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The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.

Resources

Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:

See other F0912 citations
Resident Rooms Did Not Meet Required Square Footage
B
F0912 F912: Provide rooms that are at least 80 square feet per resident in multiple rooms and 100 square feet for single resident rooms.
Short Summary

Resident rooms failed to meet required square footage standards for 2 of 10 rooms reviewed. One room certified for 4 residents measured 74 sq ft per resident, and a private room measured 81 sq ft instead of 100 sq ft. Surveyors observed no residents in the rooms, and the ADM said she was unaware of current room waivers, noted one room was being used as a staff break room, and could not find paperwork showing a waiver had been filed.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Insufficient Bedroom Square Footage for Double Occupancy
D
F0912 F912: Provide rooms that are at least 80 square feet per resident in multiple rooms and 100 square feet for single resident rooms.
Short Summary

Insufficient bedroom square footage for double occupancy: The facility placed two residents in rooms that measured only 72.265 sq ft per resident, below the required 80 sq ft per resident. Record review showed multiple rooms below the required size, and several unoccupied rooms were available or being used for non-resident purposes. The ADM said the facility knew the rooms were licensed for 2 residents but chose to keep residents in the front halls and did not apply for a room-size waiver; the VCSP said there was no policy for room size requirements.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Resident Room Size Deficiency
E
F0912 F912: Provide rooms that are at least 80 square feet per resident in multiple rooms and 100 square feet for single resident rooms.
Short Summary

Resident Room Size Deficiency: An observation with the Maintenance Director found 4 of 17 sampled resident rooms did not meet the required square footage per resident. One room occupied by two residents measured 137.04 sq. ft. total, two rooms occupied by four residents each measured 260.6 sq. ft. usable space, and one room occupied by five residents measured 158.63 sq. ft. total. The Administrator stated prior inspections had not cited the issue and asked that the room size issues be grandfathered in.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Insufficient Resident Room Square Footage
C
F0912 F912: Provide rooms that are at least 80 square feet per resident in multiple rooms and 100 square feet for single resident rooms.
Short Summary

Insufficient Resident Room Square Footage: The facility failed to provide the required 80 sq ft per resident in all 48 resident rooms. Surveyors reviewed the bed classification form, measured the rooms with a laser device, and found that the 2-bed rooms measured 151 to 160 sq ft and the 3-bed rooms measured 219 to 234 sq ft, which did not meet the required space per resident. The ADM provided a waiver request and stated there had been no changes to the rooms.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Resident Rooms Did Not Meet Required Square Footage
B
F0912 F912: Provide rooms that are at least 80 square feet per resident in multiple rooms and 100 square feet for single resident rooms.
Short Summary

Resident rooms 107, 108, 110, 302, 305, 306, and 307 did not meet the required square footage standards for multiple-occupancy rooms. Census review showed each room had 2 beds, and repeated observations confirmed the rooms remained set up with 2 beds each. The Administrator stated an exemption had been requested from the state but had not yet been granted.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Bedroom Space Requirements Not Met in Multiple Occupancy Rooms
B
F0912 F912: Provide rooms that are at least 80 square feet per resident in multiple rooms and 100 square feet for single resident rooms.
Short Summary

Bedroom Space Requirements Not Met in Multiple Occupancy Rooms: Multiple resident rooms were measured below the required 80 square feet per resident, with several rooms ranging from 61.9 to 79.3 square feet per resident. The Administrator stated a room waiver was in effect and that the room measurements had not changed. Record review showed the waiver criteria were met for the identified rooms, and 21 residents were living in most of those rooms during the annual survey.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
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