CA assisted living facility confiscated all my mother's OTC drugs and laundry and cleaning supplies.

[Auggie]

Anyone else have a friend or family member in a California assisted living facility undergo a recent house cleaning like this?

Staff said it was a state mandate that these items had to be reviewed and inventoried and that "most" would be returned.

I don't mean just aspirin, but hydrating skin lotion and nail polish remover.

Anyone hear of such a "mandate?"

My mother is as sharp as they come. So are many of the folks on the floor with her.

[applegrove]

1. The nurse at my mom's private retirement residence assessed correctly that my mom was having trouble

organizing and taking all her pills so she took them all and put mom on the list of the healthcare aide who dispensed drugs. She was looking out for mom (and probably wanting the fee). My mom was not suffering from Parkinsons' to the extent she was not aware what was going on. She just was not dealing properly with her meds. I was glad they did that.

[Auggie]

3. I'm talking about Woolite. And Windex. And Skin Cream.

Nobody assessed anything. They said "STATE MANDATE."

[applegrove]

4. Strange. That is a heavy load looking out for our parents when they age.

I found it so and I had so much help from my sister and excellent private healthcare aides who became friends.

[Auggie]

5. Assisted living. Not skilled nursing. Not dementia care. A few of these folks own automobiles.

[IcyPeas]

2. Following...

I don't know about this. I imagine acetone nail polish remover can be questionable. But facial moisturizer? What are they looking for? I don't like the idea of things being confiscated though.

I would rather have been given notice of this new mandate including a list of what they're looking for.

[Auggie]

6. I'm trying to find out about the "State Mandate." There's nothing on Google.

Wondering if it's a BS excuse to inventory everything for insurance purposes.

Thanks for responding.

[dflprincess]

8. Call your state reps and see if they've heard anything about this?

[Auggie]

14. I'm going to do that

Thanks

[alwaysinasnit]

7. Is there by any chance, a social worker assigned to your mother's case?

[Auggie]

12. Entire building was affected. It is not one person.

[alwaysinasnit]

15. I found this resource. Maybe they can answer your questions. Good luck.

https://www.caassistedliving.org/CALA/Residents___Families/Senior_Living_in_California/Long-Term_Care_Ombudsman.aspx

[marybourg]

9. In AZ, when DH was in an assisted living group home,

all items like that had to be in a locked cabinet, because although DH was all there mentally, other home residents were not and could have gained access to these items and hurt themselves, others.

[babylonsister]

10. Sounds like she was robbed. Horse poop otherwise, imo.

State mandate? CA? No. Who has time for that?

[karin_sj]

11. Happened to my mom

She was in assisted living and they removed all of her over the counter items, like vitamins, aspirin, etc. Anything over the counter that her doctor wanted her to take had to be prescribed and the facility had to store and administer themselves. They said it was some kind of law in California. They did give me the option to take them home for myself though. I thought it was strange at the time, but I think it is actually a regulation.

[Auggie]

13. Thanks. This incident happened in the last few days.

I was wondering if the facility had not been aware of the law and was suddenly compensating for the oversight. A friend who witnessed the confiscation said they came in with the force of Gestapo. Not kidding.

[Jacson6]

17. 40 years ago when I worked in a oncology ward all meds and any possible hazards had to be removed.

For the meds they were locked in that ward's locker. The hazard stuff had to be removed. It was about patient safety.

[3Hotdogs]

16. ---- earlier post about the Calif. senior ombudsman. My friend is in assisted living in Penn.

The new director had to establish his authoritarian bona fides. So he tried to pull some bullshit. Friend called the Penn ombudsman and the situation was quickly resolved in her favor.

[NNadir]

18. My mother-in-law was not allowed OTC sleep meds in NJ.

She was on a lot of meds and the concern, legitimate in my view, was a risk of drug-drug interactions and the potential for overdose. She was on a lot of pain meds.